MovieChat Forums > A Time to Kill (1996) Discussion > Are you for or against the death penalty...

Are you for or against the death penalty?


I personally am for it. Take out the trash.




"NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!!"

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Setting aside the obvious argument, that being the amount of people who were found not guilty after appeal for crimes that warranted the death penalty for me it's a conundrum. Do 'the people' have the right to carry out that killing through the justice system? No, I don't believe they do. Not trying to get philosophical, whether you believe in evolution or creation life is of an origin superior to mere mankind and whatever that origin may be I do not believe mankind should hold dominion over it so as to control who lives or dies.

I'm always struck by Sean Penn's characters last words in Dead man Walking 'I just want to say that I think killin is wrong whether it's me, y'all, or yer government'.

Yours sincerely, General Joseph Liebgott

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I am for it, but only in cases where's there's no doubt that the person is guilty. Some people just deserve it.

One flew east, one flew west. One flew over the cuckoo's nest.

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Although we haven't had it in Australia for nearly 50 years, sometimes I think that if it's been proved without a shadow of a doubt the person is guilty and the crime is heinous, that the person should be put to death.

Those found guilty are clothed, fed and have access to education whilst incarcerated and it doesn't seem fair tax payers should pay for their ongoing maintenance.

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Kats, I see one gigantic flaw with your "no doubt" argument: How many cases have you heard of during which the police or prosecutors state that yes they do have their doubts about the suspect/defendant's guilt but will press their case anyway? Juries do not have the option of voting "guilty, but we have our doubts". Prosecutors always claim to be doubt-free. But our legal system is run by humans who are always flawed and prone to mistakes or even ill-intent. The appeals system is designed to look for errors in trial procedure, not whether an overworked forensics person messed up, or a jailhouse snitch lied, or an ambitious prosecutor buried exculpatory evidence, or a juror was prejudiced. Unless you are willing for the next wrongly convicted person to be yourself or a loved one, you have to be open to our worst punishment being life in prison with no parole.

I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTO

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In theory, I am very much for it. Some crimes are so unspeakable that they deserve nothing less.

However in practice it is difficult. The risk of error is the most persuasive argument, in my view. Miscarriages of justice do happen. Timothy Evans is a tragic example.

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I am for the death penalty, but I do not believe it should be used lightly or carelessly. It is for absolutely evil people who have committed multiple felonies or terrible crimes and show no remorse or redeeming values at all.

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Against it.
Here (in Canada) there has not been a public hanging since the early 70s. And the murder rate did not skyrocket since then. There are some who say Vince Lee should have gotten it, but he was found NCR. So he did not know what he was doing.

Others say the 2 rednecks in this movie should have gotten it for raping Tonya. So should Mr. Harvey in The Lovely Bones for what he did to Suzie Salmon. BUt I say for people like that, death is too good for them. Cuts off their hands or their d***s instead!

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I am against it. In a supposedly 'Christian nation' - wherever that may be if the nation considers itself following a Christian perspective - it is hypocritical. It is not the belief of Jesus Christ that one should pay in kind for a transgression (an eye for an eye), that is old Judaic law. Christ taught forgiveness and it is the most powerful sentiment in the world. Forgiveness frees not only the offender but the victims of the crime. (see Gary Ridgeway's reaction to the gentleman who lost his daughter forgiving him for instance - much more powerful.)

That is just one reason why I completely opposed the death penalty. As proven in states like Texas, the death penalty is not a deterrent for crime. Not one study or statistic proves otherwise.

However, if a death penalty is in place I believe it should be:
1) Televised/Open to the public - if anything,THIS would be a far greater deterrent
2) The victim's family who get to pull the plug, shoot the gun, etc...
3) Only performed in the absolute worse cases of injustice where there is no question of guilt. Those cases are rare indeed.

A death for a death does not solve anything. If people want to kill others for crimes, perhaps we should start with the banking insiders who keep us all as debt-slaves while they live a life of ease. Some crimes are openly terrible while some are subtle but far more evil.

The Force is my Ally and a powerful Ally it is.
Luminous Beings are we - not this crude matter.

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Well said. It is also wise to remember Jesus himself was a victim of capital punishment.

***
You remember where the heart is?

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Hard to say as some criminals prefer to die than spend the rest of their life in prison it's actually seen as a way out as their punishment is over (I don't believe in hell or heaven).

I've heard that it cost more to execute someone than it does to keep them in prison forever so if that's true it's another reason not to have it.

I do believe in life without parole and in certain cases were there is 100% proof like clear CCTV the person should just be shot not spend 20 years on death row costing tax payers millions in appeals.

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I'm for it.

"America isn't ready for a gay, mexican chicken sandwich" - Poultrygeist

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I'm against it for one simple reason: it's cheaper to keep them alive than to kill them.

--
If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go!

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At the end of the day. Dead Murderers and Rapists are ALOT LESS DANGEROUS than living Murderers and Rapists.

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it's cheaper to keep them alive than to kill them.
That's a load of crap. People need to quit spewing it.

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For the death penalty.

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