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What is your opinion on the death penalty?

I am doing an EPQ (extended project qualification) on capital punishment and would really like to hear your opinion on whether it should be used or not - and why?

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Original post by chezzapenny
I am doing an EPQ (extended project qualification) on capital punishment and would really like to hear your opinion on whether it should be used or not - and why?


Personally am against for a number of reasons, but if the only solution we have is to kill people then it reflects on a failure in society as much as anything else. Just use the search function and its a regular topic on TSR wth plenty just wanting to kill people and jail everyone else.
Reply 2
I am definitely against it because it is barbaric and does not belong in modern society, and I know some people might argue that it is a fitting punishment for a murderer, but I feel like that would be an easy way out for them, without paying back society. Also, it might have been an accident (eg.through a driving accident) or the person might be wrongfully accused, in which case, an innocent person would be killed.
Reply 3
I'm for it.
It should not be used. I am shocked it still exists (US..). Everyone deserves a second chance or at least not this kind of punishment, just a standard punishment.
Reply 5
Definitively for it, it is the perfect deterrent for pedos, terrorists, thugs and mass murderers. LONG LIVE THE DEATH PENALTY:fuhrer:
Original post by chezzapenny
I am doing an EPQ (extended project qualification) on capital punishment and would really like to hear your opinion on whether it should be used or not - and why?


Rightfully abolished - if murder is a crime, how can it also be a punishment? Many years in prison is a more worthy punishment.
I think it should be looked at again. It should be reserved for the most heinous crimes for prisoners who cannot nor will not reform and have no chance of being released due to the nature of their sentences as well as the punishment only being executed after a period of years to eliminate the possibility of a criminals innocence i'm talking a decade or more and of course all punishments can only be granted by the supreme court so we can guarantee a neutral and experianced judge to pass the sentence and that they are guilty without a shadow of a doubt. If there is some doubt then that is why the execution would not happen until a number of years after in the case of newly emerged evidence which may change the case and punishment from execution to life inprisonment or freedom or whatever. But really i would suggest that the victim/victims or their families should have the say whether they wish them to live or die which the judge would have to take into account as they are the most affected. I'm talking traitors like Jihadi John and child murderers like the Moors Murderers, it is not a sign of a failed society it is the recognition that some people are just messed up and that they must pay for their crimes that people are responsible for themselves and their own actions and we can't down play their actions by blaming society. It is reasonable to suggest that should be punished in a manner that is equal to or similar to their crimes. That would be their repentence for their crime, their punishment. it is not barbaric what is barbaric is what the criminals had down to deserve should a punishment. Don't forget that, if they do not barbaric acts then there would be no "barbaric" reprisals. If not that then at least harsher sentencing but then again our prisons are overcrowded so it could cut down the small percentage of criminals that can qualify for the death penalty so there's that too but for morality it's a case of an eye for an eye. I'd better post this anonymously since this is quite a controversial view.
Against.

It's barbaric. It promotes the view that use of violence is acceptable in punishing people who do you wrong .Is that what our society should be taught? No, absolutely not.

Look at America. It calls itself the leader of the west, yet its disgraceful gun crime problem only exists because of open-door gun laws which stem from an inherent belief that violence is an acceptable form of punishment.

And what about the risk of someone being wrongfully convicted?

We are right to set an example higher than those who do us wrong by saying that violence of all kinds is unacceptable and has absolutely no place in our society.
(edited 6 years ago)
Although I understand some of the arguments in favour of it, personally I am wholeheartedly against. The chances of killing someone who was wrongfully convicted are way to high, and I imagine a pretty high proportion of people who genuinely ARE guilty of the crimes that would lead to the death penalty (e.g brutal murder, rape etc) would probably prefer to die than face a lifetime in jail. If they are innocent then there is still a chance to free them, and if they are guilty then let them rot away in some cell somewhere. Don't give them the quick way out.
Original post by The RAR
Definitively for it, it is the perfect deterrent for pedos, terrorists, thugs and mass murderers. LONG LIVE THE DEATH PENALTY:fuhrer:


If you don't mind me asking, what do you think about the argument that using the death penalty makes the idea of violence as a form of punishment in the name of justice may actually give murderers an excuse for their actions if they believe their victim is in the wrong?
Original post by Dr Strange
Against.

It's barbaric. It promotes the view that use of violence is acceptable in punishing people who do you wrong .Is that what our society should be taught? No, absolutely not.

Look at America. It calls itself the leader of the west, yet its disgraceful gun crime problem only exists because of open-door gun laws which stem from an inherent belief that violence is an acceptable form of punishment.

And what about the risk of someone being wrongfully convicted?

We are right to set an example higher than those who do us wrong by saying that violence of all kinds is unacceptable and has absolutely no place in our society.


I agree - the risk of wrongful conviction is something I find particularly horrifying. Especially seeing as some people may have technically committed a crime, but also have severe mental health issues yet still be found completely guilty such as the case of Andre Thomas. His crimes (murdering his wife and two young children) although horrific, is believed to be his response to hallucinations - so should he still be in the death row as he is now? He has since gouged out his own eyes and eaten one but is still thought to be mentally sane enough to be held responsible for his own actions as there is room for argument he was sane at the time of the crime. It really makes me question how we can define reason for the death penalty.
Original post by Joel 96
I'm for it.


If you don't mind me asking, why?
Original post by chezzapenny
If you don't mind me asking, why?


Well, for one thing, I've seen that it works. Just have a look at its effects in the UK in the 1950's. When it was abolished, the homicide had almost doubled by 2000. The only counter-arguments I've seen from the anti side is "correlation is not causation", and that the research is "irrelevant" because it's old.

I'm for temporarily re-introducing it to see if it once again does what it did back in the 50's. If it does, then that's brilliant, we just decreased the homicide rate. If it doesn't, then fine, let's dispose of it.
Original post by Chichaldo
Rightfully abolished - if murder is a crime, how can it also be a punishment? Many years in prison is a more worthy punishment.


but unlawful imprisonment is a crime, so how can imprisonment also be a punishment ?
As punishments go it is rather extreme and there's no going back obviously.

My huge concern would be people being wrongly convicted which has happened many times in the past.
It was like the modern version of the Roman games. I think we are inherently violent, however much we try to "civilise" ourselves and some people probably deserve the death penalty. I still think it's barbaric and that we should aim higher. On the other hand, innocent people could be saved from being murdered etc but that's hard to quantify. The system here is overwhelmingly for the prosecution team - everything is in favour of "getting a result" despite Human Rights etc. I'm sure there are a lot of wrongful convictions that we will never know about. Anyway, I'm against it.
Original post by Joel 96
Well, for one thing, I've seen that it works. Just have a look at its effects in the UK in the 1950's. When it was abolished, the homicide had almost doubled by 2000. The only counter-arguments I've seen from the anti side is "correlation is not causation", and that the research is "irrelevant" because it's old.

I'm for temporarily re-introducing it to see if it once again does what it did back in the 50's. If it does, then that's brilliant, we just decreased the homicide rate. If it doesn't, then fine, let's dispose of it.


Do you have a link to the statistics? I don't know much about the stats, but I've read that it doesn't deter crime in the US.
Original post by Anonymous
Do you have a link to the statistics? I don't know much about the stats, but I've read that it doesn't deter crime in the US.


no problem. you've heard right. statistics in the US tend to show that the death penalty doesn't have much of an effect on homicide rates. my only response to that is that the US and the UK, although pretty similar, are incomparable cultures.

here's the link (it's a pdf): researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03805/SN03805.pdf

get rid of the space between the 'e' and the 'n' in parliament
(edited 6 years ago)
I am for it. Some people deserve to die.

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