Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? Poll
Discuss issues related to the politics of the UK, such as the actions of any MP, any current or potential law, or any other factor affecting the British political system.
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View Poll Results: Do you agree with the death penalty, and if so, should it be reintroduced in the UK?
Yes 124 23.98% No 393 76.02%
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Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollFirst and foremost, I'd like to assert that what's in the title doesn't reflect my views. I'm merely playing 'devil's advocate', if you like.
The death penalty had always been something I'd disagreed with, although upon reflection recently I wonder if I've truly given it enough thought. I believe that reform is just as, if not more important, than justice/retribution when it comes to punishment - which is one of the reasons I'd always disagreed with the notion of killing someone for their crime. However, upon reading yet another story of murder in prison by people who were deemed 'psychopathic', it made me wonder if such people can ever be reformed. Some people would argue that people spending 'life' imprisonment are just taking money off the state and taxpayer and that the death penalty is in many ways the best solution. Although I could see others arguing that death is an easy escape from punishment etc. It seems there is a lot of debating to be done.
So, do you agree with the death penalty generally? If so, should Britain reintroduce it? What crimes would you deem worthy of capital punishment?
I've included a poll just to get a general idea of whether or not people on TSR agree or disagree with it. I remember in my GCSE R.S textbook a survey (carried out by The Sun
) said something like 99% of readers thought it should be reintroduced, so it will be interesting to see if TSR follows suit.
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum. I was debating whether to put this in the Philosophy forum under 'Do you agree..' but thought it might be more apt to put it in here and see if a) people agreed in principle and b) wanted to see it reintroduced.
****s sake, stop negging this.Last edited by Endless Blue; 23-07-2012 at 19:24. -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollInteresting, thanks for sharing your opinion.(Original post by zachyg)
I say no, simply due to the fact that in the past, when the death penalty has been used, innocent people can and have been killed. Their innocence was then discovered after their death. This risk of killing innocent people is too great, in my opinion.
However, let's just say (I know it wouldn't happen, but..) that no innocent people could possibly be sentenced, then would you agree with it?
What's with the negs?
Last edited by Endless Blue; 22-07-2012 at 20:36. -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollHere's another thread like this:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=1900614
New discussion is always good, just showing you how this poll will likely come out -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollNo.
1) Sometimes the wrong people get killed (very occasionally, but does/did happen)
2) I see it as more of a punishment if someone has to spend their life in prison (would be nice if prison's were made harsher places to be than they are reported as).
3) Can't remember the exact quotation - Punishing murder (or other crimes) with murder is not punishment, it's revenge.
4) A death penalty punishes other people (like the family of the criminal) more than the criminal. They see him die, they live without him and have to suffer the grief, whilst it is all over very quickly for him, and he doesn't have to live day after day in prison (although he is dead
)
Last edited by Alexx53; 13-07-2012 at 21:41. -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollAh, I see. My sincerest apologies. Had a quick search before I posted but no specific thread came up.(Original post by 117r)
Here's another thread like this:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=1900614
New discussion is always good, just showing you how this poll will likely come out
Should I delete this one then?
Edit: In fact, I suppose I may as well leave it up for now. But the other thread definitely is better than mine since I forgot to include a maybe/undecided poll option, to which I would have voted for
Apologies, everyone. Continue posting/voting if you wish or head over to the above thread if you'd like.
Last edited by Endless Blue; 13-07-2012 at 21:41. -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollHonestly, no. I believe everyone has the right to life, no matter what they've done in their life.(Original post by benpearson1)
Interesting, thanks for sharing your opinion.
However, let's just say (I know it wouldn't happen, but..) that no innocent people could possibly be sentenced, then would you agree with it? -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollIf you pay too much attention to the news, you'd think that nobody who goes to prison is reformed. You only see reports on those who don't; you won't see a headline saying 'two-bit criminal does time and keeps head down for the rest of his life'.
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollThat's seems like a pretty stupid point to be honest. Just because nothing may come of it or there may not be an answer doesn't necessarily mean it shouldn't be discussed.(Original post by im so academic)
Will never happen, no point talking about it.
Why don't you go and ask all the people debating the existence of God why they're doing it?
Anyway, I don't think you can be 100% sure that it would never be reintroduced. The first question I asked was do you agree with Capital Punishment on a moral basis, and if you do, would you like to see it used in the United Kingdom. -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollNah, don't bother deleting! But you could say this thread has already been done to death...(Original post by benpearson1)
Ah, I see. My sincerest apologies. Had a quick search before I posted but no specific thread came up.
Should I delete this one then?
Edit: In fact, I suppose I may as well leave it up for now. But the other thread definitely is better than mine since I forgot to include a maybe/undecided poll option, to which I would have voted for
Apologies, everyone. Continue posting/voting if you wish or head over to the above thread if you'd like.
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? Pollthats my thread(Original post by 117r)
Here's another thread like this:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=1900614
New discussion is always good, just showing you how this poll will likely come out
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollIndeed, it seems I am several steps behind you as far as TSR is concerned.
Hopefully one day I will be able to emulate you
What are your views, by the way? Are you still for in some cases as stated in your OP or are you unsure/changed your mind? Did the thread enlighten you in any way?
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? Poll(Original post by 117r)
Nah, don't bother deleting! But you could say this thread has already been done to death...
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? Pollah dont worry every thread seems to get recycled on TSR at some point the ones relating to gays and muslims are the worst every day a new one bashing one or even both of them will pop up(Original post by benpearson1)
Indeed, it seems I am several steps behind you as far as TSR is concerned.
Hopefully one day I will be able to emulate you
What are your views, by the way? Are you still for in some cases as stated in your OP or are you unsure/changed your mind? Did the thread enlighten you in any way?
ah cant blaim you
hmmm slightly changed, i believe its an imperfect solution for an imperfect world there will always be those out there who i feel have done a crime so evil they should pay the ultimate penalty for it but on that the point of it being the ultimate hypocrisy by the state to kill someone for killing is a good counter arguement. Personally i now feel that its best to keep it off the statute books untill there is at the very least a 100% safe way of proving people are guilty, i mean half the reason they got rid of it were the large numbers of innocent people being executed then the government having to say sorry later :L So yar i guess what im saying is in principle i agree with it in some extraordinary cases but in practice it to often fails to make it viable
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollOne reason why it will never be introduced: the majority of the electorate will not vote for it.(Original post by benpearson1)
That's seems like a pretty stupid point to be honest. Just because nothing may come of it or there may not be an answer doesn't necessarily mean it shouldn't be discussed.
Why don't you go and ask all the people debating the existence of God why they're doing it?
Anyway, I don't think you can be 100% sure that it would never be reintroduced. The first question I asked was do you agree with Capital Punishment on a moral basis, and if you do, would you like to see it used in the United Kingdom. -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollI think that death is the easy way out for criminals. If someone had done something like killed my mum, I would want them to suffer as much as possible; I would rather that they had to live a sad, lonely life in prison for years than just be killed.
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollIf only one person is ever killed wrongly in the history of the death penalty - which irrefutably has happened, and not just in "dodgy regimes" - I honestly cannot understand why anyone would support it's introduction.
It gives very little actual benefit to the community (we have these new institutions called "prisons" - should you want to kill someone, a life sentence in one of those will pretty much the exact same effect on society, without the brutality) - so what exactly is the point? I'm sure the people advocating it would be feeling slightly differently if it was their mother/father etc. wrongfully executed as opposed to a faceless, nobody you've never met... -
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Re: Should Britain reintroduce the death penalty? PollYeah, that's something I was thinking about as well actually (don't think I included it in the OP, though).(Original post by SarahSmiles95)
I think that death is the easy way out for criminals. If someone had done something like killed my mum, I would want them to suffer as much as possible; I would rather that they had to live a sad, lonely life in prison for years than just be killed.
But with the current justice system in the UK (admittedly to which I am not too knowledgeable yet) life imprisonment is often very short.
Perhaps with some more research this will prompt me to make a 'Is the British Justice System too lax in its punishments' or something along those lines.
)
