Anyone On The Fence About Capital Punishment?

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/wade-wilson-deadpool-killer-sentenced-to-death-for-atrocious-murders-of-women-13204677

I have traditionally been in favour of capital punishment though I sometimes waver. Those against it often do impress me with their reasoning and I get persuaded that maybe the state should never execute it's own citizens. Then a case like this comes along and I start to think that sometimes there are such depraved humans that it's a case of disposal of a pathogen rather than execution. No doubt AH will tell me that it's emotive and we should ignore the circumstances. Your Thoughts......

[naomi24]

I think there are a lot of people who would be willing to press the button, wield the syringe, or pull the handle.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // I think there are a lot of people who would be willing to press the button, wield the syringe, or pull the handle. //

Frightening, isn't it.

Personally, I would advocate that anyone who states that they arewilling to participate in state-sponsored murder, should automatically be barred from ever being allowed to do so.

[naomi24]

It doesn't frighten me, andy hughes.  I think the world would be a better place for the permanent removal of people who commit horrendous crimes.  

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // It doesn't frighten me, andy hughes.  I think the world would be a better place for the permanent removal of people who commit horrendous crimes. //

I wouldn't argue - I just think that it's more civilised if the removal is facilitated by permanent incarcertation, rather than state sponsored murder.

[naomi24]

andy hughes, I know you do.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // andy hughes, I know you do. //

We have debated this several times, we tend to agree to differ.

[SparklyKid]

the death penalty is not murder . yes i would happily open the trap door

[andy-hughes]

SK - // the death penalty is not murder . yes i would happily open the trap door //

I know it's not, I tend to use the term because it vexes that CP advocates.

I am sure, sitting at your keyboard, that you believe you would be able to pull a lever.

Living with what you have done might be a little less simple.

Just a thought - I am not in your head, so I don't know one way or the other, but to quote William Munny in Clint Eastwood's brilliant Western film Unforgiven, "It's a hell of a thing, killing a man, you take away all he's ever been, and all he's ever going to be ..."

Of course there are people who could do it - but then, there are people who can do all manner of apalling things and not care about it - that doesn't mean it's a right thing to do.

[naomi24]

Taking away 'all he has been, all he has ever been and all he's ever going to be' suits me.  

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // Taking away 'all he has been, all he has ever been and all he's ever going to be' suits me.  //

Timothy Evans might argue with you.

Oh, hang on .....

[naomi24]

Times have changed.

[SparklyKid]

i wondered whem tim evans would appear.  he was a simple man coersed by the police to make erroneos statements..  no dna then...poor choice ah

[andy-hughes]

SK - // i wondered whem tim evans would appear.  he was a simple man coersed by the police to make erroneos statements..  no dna then...poor choice ah //

'Poor choice'? Timothy Evans is the default example of why capital punishment is wrong - an innocent man hanged. If he had been imprisoned he could have been released.

That's the issue with CP - no room for errors, and who would like to be the person to be certain that there are no errors?

 

[nailedit]

Who decides who gets to live and who get the rope?

Is it a one size fits all regardless of circumstances? That if you take a life you forfeit yours?

Having served time alongside murderers, one case sticks in my memory. I was in Walton prison at the time. This guy was a double murderer. He was abused by a paedophile ring as a child and later on in life he found out where 2 of them lived and killed them. He was such an unasuming , mild mannered bloke but his head was a mess. He was awaiting to transfer to Ashworth mental hospital.

Would anyone give a man like this the rope?

Personally I would have given him a medal.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // Times have changed. //

They have - but he's still as dead now as he was then.

Wrongly.

[naomi24]

So are Lee Rigby, the two little girls from Soham, Fred & Rose West's victims - and thousands more.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - // So are Lee Rigby, the two little girls from Soham, Fred & Rose West's victims - and thousands more. //

That's a poor argument, I would have expected better than you.

Any murder victim is the result of the actions of a deranged mind.

Execution victims are the result of carefully planned and organised killing by the state.

There is absolutely no comparison between the two, except they are both horrendous and should never happen.

But we only have control over one of them, and we should exercise it, as we do.

[SparklyKid]

yes ah , lock killers up , release them to kill again plenty of examples

[naomi24]

Andy Hughes, it's a poor argument - according to you - because you disagree.  I disagree with you.  Accept it.

[andy-hughes]

SK - // yes ah , lock killers up , release them to kill again plenty of examples //

You are making assumptions again.

At no point in the debate, or any other, have I ever suggested freedom for any murderer.

I refer to it in one of my posts on this thread, which you conveniently appear to have missed.