Death Penalty For The Snipers?

» wayoutinleft - Death Penalty For The Snipers?

Question for the anti-death penalty advocates:
How do you rationalize being against the death penalty in the case of the DC snipers? Or do you see this as an exception to your views?

-- posted by wayoutinleft

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» Ravenlea - Re: Death Penalty For The Snipers?

In response to message posted by wayoutinleft:

Hi Glenn,

No need for me to rationalize. I think the death penalty is wrong... no exceptions. I don't understand the desire to kill another human being, now matter how depraved they might be. I think people delude themselves that it will make them feel better, but that is me. It wouldn't make me feel better. The victims will not be resurrected by the death of their killers and those of us who participate (all of us) in the execution become killers ourselves. There is a very wise saying: "You become the thing you hate." Certainly seems to apply here.

There are all these myths - none of them true - that the death penalty deters crime. It doesn't. People who commit murders either act spontaneously or think they are going to get away with it. Some people also think executions save money but it actually costs more to keep someone on death row, not less.

Anyway, my answer to your question is that I don't think there is a need to rationalize my belief. "Thou shalt not kill" doesn't have a lot of except clauses attached to it.

Even though it is the best in the world, our justice system is still way too flawed - just look at the cases being overturned in the past two years - to be trusted with life and death decisions.

Or that's my opinion, anyway.

Many Blessings,

-- posted by Ravenlea

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» Zanzi - Re: Death Penalty For The Snipers?

In response to message posted by wayoutinleft:
I don't see a need for an exception to the view, I see a need for a reform of the prison system itself. Killing these two will end their lives and any possibility of setting an example. Showing them who thought they held the power over life and death in their hands, while performing hard labor day after day, with little or no contact to the outside world, will send a somewhat stronger message.

After all, more than the fear of dying, isn't it the fear of isolation and loss of all hope for rescue that humans seek to avoid at almost all costs?

-- posted by Zanzi

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» wayoutinleft - Re: Re: Death Penalty For The Snipers?

In response to message posted by Zanzi:

more than the fear of dying, isn't it the fear of isolation and loss of all hope for rescue that humans seek to avoid

I don't fear that more than death. Sure, isolation with no chance of deliverance is a great fear, but as for how great a fear, well, that's debatable. I suppose it depends on the circumstances of isolation. Unless I'm being constantly brutalized, I would prefer life in isolation over death.

-- posted by wayoutinleft

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