The Death Penalty

The Death Penalty

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Lucilla Says:
The death penalty is a very serious topic to write about, because it had to do with the life or death of a criminal. In my opinion, yes, criminals should be punished in some way, but is the death penalty the way to go? I don’t think I believe in the death penalty. I think it would be worse to live your life in a prison cell than it would be to just be put to death. What are we, animals, we do something wrong and you just put us to sleep. I don’t know that’s my opinion, many people would disagree with me and say that the death penalty is the way. I respect your decision either way.

For example, the lethal injection of Timothy McVeigh, there are opinions running from both sides. Some say he should “burn in hell” for what he has done and some say that he should remain in prison his whole life. If you don’t know, McVeigh is responsible for killing 168 men, women, and children during the Oklahoma City bombing back 6 years ago in 1995. But don’t quote me on that 168 people dying because I could be off, that number just stuck in my mind for some reason. But anyways, it was one of the most awful terrorist acts in history. McVeigh caused this tragedy for certain beliefs of his, something about him hating the government and something about Wacco, I don’t know exactly what Wacco is, so don’t ask me. *laugh* Maybe Yves knows, I don’t know. But anyways, back to the subject. I don’t think they should have gave the death penalty to McVeigh. He should have spent the rest of his worthless life in prison. I don’t’ agree with what he did, but no one should have the death penalty. Well, if they executed McVeigh for killing that many people, they might as well execute the Tobacco Industries for killing millions of people with their products. Don’t you agree? I think they should. But please people, don’t think in anyway that I am sticking up for McVeigh because I am not. I could give a happy rat’s ass that they killed him *laugh*, he deserved it. But I think it would have been more punishing for him to sit day by day in that prison cell thinking and feeling guilty for all the lives he has taken and ruined. What are they doing by killing him? Are they bringing back all the people that were killed in the bombing? No. They are not coming back. Do they think that there is justice by killing him? That’s not suffering, lethal injection isn’t suffering, wow he’s dead, there’s no suffering there. But anyways, I guess I can’t fully understand this whole death penalty thing until it is one of my family members being a victim. Which I hope will never happen, to me or anyone else. What if my child or mother or father was a victim of the bombing? Would I want McVeigh dead, I don’t know.

Yves Says:
Well, I don’t believe in the death penalty. Take McVeigh for instance(BTW people, I’m going to be covering everything here so beware). Yes, I understand he killed a lot of innocent people including babies. What could drive someone, anyone, anywhere to do that? Well, I don’t know, probably a lot of different things. Have any of you heard that McVeigh actually wanted to be executed? I’m sure you have. Do you think he wanted it out of remorse? Well, no. He wanted it because of this sick notion that he would get some more 15 minutes of fame, that he would be glorified(by glorified I mean talked about a lot, except this wouldn’t be in a good way), and that he would be in history forever(which he will). So guess what? We let him win. We gave him his fame and there was no pain and hard work to get in his way. Wonderful isn’t it?

And what’s with all these people killing anyway? It’s because they can get away with it no matter what. They either get executed and they don’t really have to pay a high price for anything(obviously they don’t consider taking lives a high price). Plus, they make murderers out of the executioners too no matter how you try to justify it. So now they’ve made another killer out of another human being. Executioners are still killing people aren’t they? Isn’t that what they’re killing McVeigh for? Maybe we should do that to the executioners too, but then we’d have to kill the person who killed the executioner and so on until we have no one left to kill. All because we feel we have to take matters into our own hands.

All right, the other way to get out of punishment is parole. No one ever stays in jail anymore now do they? Know why? We don’t have enough prisons to keep all the criminals in it. Why do we have so many criminals? Because they know they can get away with it. It’s an endless cycle. Get put in prison for murder, get parole. Commit another murder, get put in a more guarded prison, get parole. Commit yet another murder, maximum security prison, most likely parole after a long time, but maybe even a death sentence is the crime is cruel enough.

Let’s go back to what I said about executioners killing people. Doesn’t it sound a little familiar? People want this guy to die? They’re enjoying it and they think it’s amusing. It reminds me of gladiators dying while people watched them from the stands cheering for their deaths (thanks for making me watch Gladiator Lucilla). It even reminds me of killing animals for sport. I mean, after all, we are animals, whether you care to admit it or not. Trust me, we are animals it says so in my biology book. So now we’re hunting and killing each other for sport. Why isn’t anyone defending humans? We hunt deer, bears, and all kinds of animals. We cut off chickens’ heads so we can eat them, but we’re still killing. We pick live lobsters to eat. They take them out and cook them alive in boiling water. We take our own species and fry them in an electric chair. Why don’t we just hand them all over to Jeffery Dahmer or Hannibal the Cannibal while we’re at it so they can have some cooked human. That would be a nice gesture wouldn’t it?

Like Lucilla says, it would probably be better if people were kept in prison to live with their guilt for the rest of their lives. I would say to put them in solitary confinement because not only do they feel guilty, they drive themselves crazy thinking about because they don’t have anyone to talk with about all their guilt. By just killing the killer, they learn absolutely nothing. McVeigh doesn’t feel any remorse. What has he learned? Probably nothing. He was looking forward to his death. Granted, none of the people you execute will ever be out on the streets again, but it doesn’t help anything at all. None of the people killed will magically come back to life. There will be another killer out there for every single one you execute.

Basically, executions only help the survivors or the loved ones of the victims bring closure to their pain. But think about it. They are actually praying that McVeigh(or any other killer for that matter) gets killed, hope he goes to hell and throw parties after he is dead and they do it all without remorse. Guess what, they just turned into murderers too. Or at the very least, black hearted people. Real murderers don’t feel remorse or if they do, they ignore it, much the same way that the victims’ families do.

So think of all that next time you hear about an execution. It was a medieval practice and still we’re using it today, although we’ve decided not to gut people alive, burn them at a stake, or stretch them until they rip apart. Yeah, sounds pretty disgusting doesn’t it? We’ve also decided not to torture them before killing them too. It’s still the same, though, as it was back then. People crowded around at an execution and couldn’t wait until they got to see the guy die. See how much the human species has changed?

If so many of those people claim to believe in God, why do they want their fellow man to die? Isn’t there something in the Bible that says, “Love thy neighbor?” There’s also something that says something like if someone hits you in the face, offer them to hit the other side of your face. Trust me, it’s in there or at least something to that effect. Basically, be civil and don’t let other people bother you. Don’t let bad people make you become a bad person too. Besides, God takes care of the killing and the Devil takes care of hell, so why do we feel that we have to play God and decide who gets to die?

Max Says:
I think that they should have it, but they should kill the person the way that the person killed. Like with Tim McVeigh he bombed people he killed hundreds of innocent people. They should have strapped M-80s for each person he killed all over his body and each day blown up one of those M-80s. After his hands were gone, they should’ve dipped his wrists in hydrogen peroxide. Then they should have put them in alcohol. Then, they should’ve poured salt over them and various other tortures for each child he killed. And then they keep blowing him up each day and save his dick for last. Yes, they should have the death penalty, but have torture first. Cruel and unusual punishment rules! Let the bastard die and let him die painfully. If somebody stabbed somebody else, they should watch themselves bleed.



Your Opinions!

Sent in by: Timba timba.aaliyah@uk.dreamcast.com
I totally do not agree with Capital Punishment (the death penalty) for a whole bunch of reasons. The first reason being it makes the murderer into a martyr, in other words it makes them famous because they have died for what they believe in. Take the much publisized execution of the Oklahoma Bomber Timothy McVeigh who killed 168 people including children. This evil man wanted to die because he knew he would go down in history for it. So what do we do, give him what he wants. Now that "man" if you can call him a man, has been immortalized. He will be studied, read and debated about by future generations to come. All because he killed innocent people.

Also does it not make us just as bad as the murderer by executing them? We are lowering ourselves to their level. Plus, I am sure they would suffer more rotting away in a cell for the majority of their life rather then being executed. I am not a religious person but there is a very valid point written in the bible "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". How many of us can say we have never done anything wrong, what gives us the right to judge people? Ok you would be right to ask "But what gave the murderer the right to take someones life?" Can you not reverse that and say what gives us the right to execute the murderer?

One thing that really worries me about Capital Punishment is the executioner. That poor man or woman has to live with the fact that they have killed someone themselves, but wait not just someone it is their job and they execute dozens of people a year. What does that do to the executioner psychologically? Surely it must effect them in some way. I have heard stories of executioners who have not been able to live with the guilt and have commited suicide.

Just to play Devil's Advocate for a minute. Over here in Britain our prisons are publically funded unlike in America where they are privately run. So that means that we are paying to keep murderers and rapists in prison. So people ask the question why should I spend my tax money to keep these evil people alive? Surely the money spent to keep these "things" in prison could be spent on schools or other public services that desperatley need the money. But still I don't agree with Capital Punishment. In my mind if someone has raped or murdered someone (I mean murdered in cold blood not in the heat of the moment) something has went wrong in society to make them murder or rape someone. So surely it is society's responsibility to try and solve or at least understand what is wrong with the crimminal.

So to sum up do I believe Capital Punishment is right No. However I do believe that Corporal Punishment should be brought back. This is where rather than executing the criminal they are tortured. In some countries is a person robs something their hand is cut. Maybe this should be the case in all countries because I am sure it would stop people robbing things.

luv Timba xxx :)


George Carlin: If lobsters looked like puppies, people could never drop them in boiling water while their still alive. But instead, they look like science fiction monsters, so it’s OK. Restaurants that allow patrons to select live lobsters from a tank should be made to paint names on their shells: “Happy,” “Baby Doll,” “Junior.” I defy anyone to drop a living thing called “Happy” in rapidly boiling water.

George Carlin: Why do they put a suicide watch on certain death row prisoners? Why would you care if a man you’re planning to kill kills himself? Does it spoil the fun? I also think about the death row prisoner in Texas who, on the day before his execution, managed to take a drug overdose. They rushed him to a hospital, saved his life, then brought him back to prison and killed him. Apparently, just to piss him off.

George Carlin: Suppose you’re on death row, and they tell you you can have one last meal. And it’s an honorable thing, they take pride in it and they really try to live up to it. But you can’t make up your mind. You have most of the meal figured out except you can’t decide between steak and lobster. You honestly can’t decide. Can they kill you? If you really can’t decide? Truth serum, lie detector, psychologists; it becomes a big media thing: “MAN TELLING THE TRUTH. CAN’T REALLY DECIDE.” Can they kill you? Can they honestly drag you down the last mile screaming, “Turf, surf, who knows?” But then, finally. Finally, after eighteen months of indecision, you say, “OK! I got it! Gimme the steak!” And everybody goes, “Ohh, cool, wow, he wants the steak.” Then the warden says to you, “How would you like that steak done?” And you say, “Oh, jeez…I have no idea. Can I get back to you on that?

Taken from George Carlin's book titled "Brain Droppings."