Death Penalty (in a bubble)

Would you ever allow the death penalty?

  • Total voters
    35
Yes, I support death penalty -- for multiple murderers who repeatedly demonstrated callous disregard for human life, in other words, clearly see other humans as prey. My reasoning is neither punishment nor deterrent -- it is removing from society an element which is too dangerous to be allowed to exist. It is the prey species' responsibility to protect itself from predators. As far as I am concerned, executing suchj people is no more a "punishment" than putting down a rabid dog is a punishment.

I would not execute anyone who killed only once. OTOH, I do not believe there should be a distinction between murder and attempted murder. Each knowingly tried to take a human life. No reason to reward the incompetent one. So there may be theoretically a situation where I would support executing someone who did not actually kill anyone -- just tried really hard and repeadely.
 
madanthonywayne said:
Please. The best definition of government I've read is the body that holds a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence within a given geographic area.

What happens if you don't pay your taxes? Men with guns come and throw you in jail. If you resist, they'll kill you.

Yet you consider it beyond the pale for that same government to execute a convicted murderer?
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I'm more of a "social contract" man myself. I don't pay my taxes because I'm afraid of being shot. ;)
 
Orleander said:
I want some child abusers put to death as well. And torturers. You hold a person captive for a week, rape them, burn them, beat them....I want you gone.
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While I certainly wouldn't lament the execution of people who commit those crimes, some thought must be given to the fact that making the penalty for kidnapping/child abuse etc the same as for murder might encourage the criminals to kill their victims.
 
lucifers angel said:
if murder is wrong then so be it, the death penalty is wrong aswell.
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Some people hold the view that murder is wrong because it infringes upon a person's right to live. A justification for the death penalty might be that by committing murder, someone has given up all of their rights including their right to live.
 
iceaura said:
Governments have no standing to make decisions about who deserves to be killed. Morally, ethically, they are in about the same position as hired assassins.
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Well, how about you? You're not a hired assassin (I assume). Is there any crime that you think deserves death as a punishment?
 
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ashura said:
Does that include the military?
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There is no global authority(U.N - please don't make me laugh.)

Supposidly Democracies have militaries purely for self defense, also allowed by any reasonable nations laws.

Now then if we say the state's act of killing or harming is justified, that tells us that killing or harming is also justified by the public.
 
nietzschefan said:
There is no global authority(U.N - please don't make me laugh.)

Supposidly Democracies have militaries purely for self defense, also allowed by any reasonable nations laws.

Now then if we say the state's act of killing or harming is justified, that tells us that killing or harming is also justified by the public.
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So you would say you're against the death penalty because you're completely against the idea of ever killing another human being, except in self defense?
 
Well that would sure work if everyone rolled that way. Mostly, i'm just not interested in any government being in charge of killing or hurting people.
 
nietzschefan said:
Well that would sure work if everyone rolled that way. Mostly, i'm just not interested in any government being in charge of killing or hurting people.
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So how about on a personal level. Is there ever anything which you think deserves death as a punishment?
 
Well we are not talking about me. My problems are quite different from a government or societies problems.

There might be situations where it is personally advantageous for me to act outside this society's morals. I also can expect society to react. The Government should not be given such power of legitimate harm to citizens. The Government must not be allowed to act immorally. Heh, at least outside the morals it imposed upon it's citizens.

Is there ever anything which you think deserves death as a punishment?
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Deserve, has nothing to do with my argument. I used to be very PRO-capital punishment, until I realized it is a moot point. Many societies today do not even incarcerate, they are rehabilitating. At least they say they are...
 
nietzschefan said:
Well we are not talking about me. My problems are quite different from a government or societies problems.

There might be situations where it is personally advantageous for me to act outside this society's morals. I also can expect society to react. The Government should not be given such power of legitimate harm to citizens. The Government must not be allowed to act immorally. Heh, at least outside the morals it imposed upon it's citizens.
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But... I am talking about you. :confused:

I think I might have poorly worded my OP/entire thread. I'm trying to find out what someone's opinion is on a personal level on what they think about death as a punishment.
 
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