Well, i agree with you to a point. To those people that fit any or all of the three criteria you presented, the penalty, whatever it is, is not a deterrent. IMO, those people don't deserve a place in a civilized society. BUT - for the rest of us, we think about the results of our actions. Therefore, any penalty, even a fine for speeding, is a deterrent.
For most of us, a structured penalty system keeps us in check. The death penalty is an extreme case, but it still is a deterrent nonetheless. The people who ignore the deterrents are the ones that have no place in society. They should be locked up. And, while we are at it, I also think that rape should be a punishable by death offense. They have effectively ruined the entire life of a (usually) young woman. She will never be the same. Why should that sicko be allowed back on the streets? Disagree? Now think if that was your wife or daughter or even a close friend. Do you still disagree? Sorry, got off on a tangent there. Rape is one of those things that really fires me up. Ray At 02:16 PM 12/14/2004, you wrote: >I completely disagree. > >Unless I'm mistaken, there is only one offense in the US that is punishable >by death, murder in the first degree. First degree murder requires >pre-meditation. > >Now, you are telling me that someone who has pre-meditated on a murder, >knowing full well that if he's caught, he's spending the rest of his life in >prison, would be more apt to rethink his action if, instead of being in >prison for the rest of their life, they will be in prison for about 15 or 20 >years....then be killed quietly? > >Anyone who's pre-meiditated, then carried out, a murder, is either: >1) Convinced they won't get caught >2) Irrational at the moment - so called crimes of passion - and not >considering ANY consequences >or >3) Decided that whatever consequences they might face would be worth the >action anyway. > >In none of these instances do I see death penalty vs. life in prison >mattering one iota. > > > > Wait - how can it NOT be a deterrent? There are people that cut me off at > > the traffic circle on my way home every day, I have some enemies, but I > > certainly won't kill them. Why? Cause I don't want to spend my life in a > > cell or die from Lethal Injection. > > > > Side note: I probably couldn't kill anyone anyways, no matter how much I > > hate them. I'd rather just smoke a doobie and chill my emotions out. I > > am > > just trying to explain that without fear of repercussion, people would be > > free to do what they want. > > > > So, I think that the death penalty does deter violent crime. Maybe some > > don't think things through (think crimes of passion here) before > > committing > > them, but for the most part, it works. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Silver Sponsor - CFDynamics http://www.cfdynamics.com Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:139849 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
