...has worked in stopping all murder?
It's ridiculous to give the state reasons for killing its own citizens;guilty or not. It's just mindless revenge, and much more costly than keeping them in prison. It's amorality in search of immorality.
There is ample proof that the death penalty works as a deterrent.
In spite of many great efforts over the centuries recidivism of convicts continues at 80 to 90 percent. No matter how we try to reform prisons, recidivism rates run high. However, no criminal sentenced to death and whose sentence was carried out has ever repeated the crime. Proof that the death penalty deters them from continued criminal activity of any sort.
The death penalty is more expensive than permanently housing the criminals because we inflict ridiculously high standards on ourselves.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.
Put a cork in it teabagger. Shouldn't you be listening to the latest announcements from Dr. Carson and The Donald.
shareThe possibility that the death penalty would deter a rational person from committing murder is ludicrous. Here's the problem, rational people do not commit murder. The use of the death penalty is not for justice, it is for revenge.
As illustrated in this movie, the death penalty is horribly wrong. Authoritarian types enjoy vengeance. Sad thing, according to their arguments, Texas should be a murder-free state by now!
Susan Hayward was remarkable as Barbara Graham...she was channeling Helen Lawson even then.
Whether deterrence works or not is a side issue. Capital punishment works because it provides a punishment appropriate for the crime.
shareWhen it comes to the likes of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, the Manson Family, Wesley Allen Dodd, Dennis Rader (aka BTK), Richard Ramirez, Henry Lee Lucas, Otis Toole, Leonard Lake, David Berkowitz (aka Son of Sam), O.J. Simpson ..... and many others who were clearly guilty of multiple murders ... I have no problem with the Death Penalty. The entire Manson Family should have been put to death, as should have O.J. - In the case of all of these "Monsters" I don't care about whether or not it deters future murderers, as much as I care about wanting justice for the victims. Also, sociopaths - such as the above listed - feel nothing for their victims and will feel no remorse as they sit in prison for life.
shareIf taking a human life is wrong, it's wrong, whether state-sponsored or not. Period.
Next question?
"If taking a human life is wrong, it's wrong, whether state-sponsored or not. Period. Next question?"
I don't have a question in response to such a stupid statement.
All taking of life is not morally equivalent. A murderer torturing, raping, and strangling an innocent woman, and the state exterminating that murderer as punishment, are two extremely different things. The former is pointless and tragic, the latter is just, and makes the world a better, safer place.
It's difficult to imagine anyone so intellectually simple they can't comprehend the distinction.
Revenge is not "mindless". It's justified, and it's satisfying.
There's no good reason for capital punishment to be more expensive than incarceration. It's made more expensive by government/bureaucratic stupidity, corruption, and waste.
The rate of recidivism among violent criminals is very high. Capital punishment is a 100 percent guaranteed deterrent to that particular criminal. He (or she) will never offend again.
"Stopping all murder"? Who ever said capital punishment would stop all murder? Nobody ever said that. But are you claiming that no potential murderer ever considered the possibility of being executed, and as a result decided against murdering? That would be a preposterous lie, or extreme naivete. The fact is, capital punishment is a deterrent, has deterred some people from murdering. If you argue against that, you're just showing how stubborn, or stupid you are. If capitol punishment had only a one percent deterrence rate, then ten innocent lives of every thousand potential murder victims would be spared.
Yeah, yeah, the OP was eight years ago, blah, blah, blah. But there's always somebody with the same stupid argument.