Thoughts on the death penalty?

[manasecret]

Like you said KG, maybe if a justice system were flawless then capital punishment would be ok. But as we've seen over and over people are acquitted all the time after many years in prison or on death row, or, after being put to death.

Making amends for putting an innocent person in prison for years is already tough enough. But how do you make amends for putting to death an innocent person?

Now, even if we had a flawless justice system, I think on principle I would still be against the death penalty, I don't believe killing is right when you don't have to. If you have someone in custody, in prison, he's no longer much of a threat to society. And I think life in prison (which is essentially the death penalty by old age) is much worse of a punishment than putting someone out of their misery quickly.

[Typhoid]

Well, here we go.


You'd think I'd be for it, but I'm not. The chance of having an innocent person in the place of a guilty one is too big of a risk. If that variable is taken out entirely, then maybe I'd think about it.


One of my best friends was murdered 4 years ago, and I wouldn't wish the death penalty on the kid who did it. It might sound more barbaric, but I'd much prefer he stays in jail his entire life knowing full-well what he did, each and every day. Death would be the easy way out.