I am anti the death penalty for one reason.
Because of the evolution of DNA evidence; many convicted criminals have been charged with murders that an innocent man or woman was executed for. Could you imagine the anguish of the innocent as they go through the nightmare of incarceration and trial only to be put to death in the end? If one innocent dies at the hands of the state, it is too many.

I believe life is life and I do not believe that the punishment is solely the deprivation of their liberty. Prisoners should do a mandatory ten hour day of labour, six days a week. No entertainment other than selected hard copy books, no commissary.

There is certainly a relief to the loved ones of the victim when the murderer is executed, and I wouldn’t take that from them, but the innocents that have been murdered by the state had loved ones who grieved as well, both grief’s justified, both victims innocent, but one could have been prevented.

Lexi>> But, then I am a firm believer in social equity, compassion,
and an egalitarian society. The vunerable need our help
and support. I don't believe in letting people sink.<<

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq28qCklEHc

@sonofgloin

you are not against death sentence
you are wary of miscarriage of justice

we need to distinguish this

to resolve your concern, for cases that the jury finds the accused guilty but the defence counsel feels strongly that his client is innocent, let there be a stay of execution...for 1 mth..3 mths...6 mths or even a year.
this should give the counsel more than enough time to gather fresh evidence

for b&w cases like the murderer who shot the police officer point blank; like the repeated offender who raped and murdered a few times, just execute him the next day.

or are you saying, NO.... we can never be sure?

Plat>> or are you saying, NO.... we can never be sure?<<

Yes, no.
There is no half measure in capital punishment, if you introduce it all those convicted of premeditated murder or murder during a felony should be executed after all avenues of appeal are exhausted. You can be convicted of these crimes even if there is no evidence linking you to the body or the crime scene. There is always a 1 in a 1,000,000 chance that everything points to a perpetrator but they are innocent. As I said there are plenty of retro DNA convictions for murder that an innocent had been tried convicted and executed for.

Plat, have you seen the doco on Russian high security prisons exclusively for murderers? They treat the murderer like an object, no humanity, no interaction other than directions and orders. Everywhere they move outside their cell they are shackled and doubled over so their head below chest height to the guards. That is a life sentence.

I agree with sonofgloin.
You can never be absolutely certain of someone's guilt.
Thats why I will never support the death penalty.

Killing murderers would make us no better than them.
If, as many of OLO's posters often go on about, we do live in a predominantly Christian country, then how can any of you advocate for killing someone when one of your God's commandments says 'Thou Shall not Kill"?

Did God forget to add "...except for murderers'?

@sonofloin

i just need to clarify something

in the case of the police officer being shot at point blank in the presence of many witness, i.e. 100% sure (re: Tamworth case), would you agree to death sentence for the murderer?

thks