You’ve asked the wrong question. The real question is “Should we bring back executions FOR Illinois lawmakers?”

No.

What does the death penalty accomplish? It is apparent it has not been a deterrent to crime. In fact, given the option I would think the death penalty would be better than the rest of life in prison for the guilty. Death penalty cases are also more expensive with their automatic and, then, never ending appeals than it costs to room/board a prisoner for 70 years. It seems to me there is nothing being gained by the death penalty (except that it appeals to a certain segment of the demographic which may equal votes).

Let me clarify “In fact, given the option I would think the death penalty would be better than the rest of life in prison for the guilty.”

I was trying to say if I was guilty of a crime and was given the choice of death penalty or life in prison, I might choose the death penalty.

As much as I’d like to universally apply the most severe penalty for the most heinous crimes, there’s always that chance that the accused has been falsely accused. So unless the crime has been captured on video tape, I can’t support bringing back executions. The tragedy is that human beings are capable of the abominable acts that traditionally receive the death penalty. There’s no real solution to this problem..and there never will be. Despite all our sophistication, it’s a reminder that we really do continue to live in a jungle.

I used to be pro-death penalty, but I now I find myself not so sure. When you see people being released from prison after a decade or more because of DNA evidence, it makes you wonder how many innocent people have been put to death. And I say how many, not if, because the odds are that it has happened. It shouldn’t happen again.

Take those who deserve capital punishment and give them a box to live in, with no TV or libraries, and no interaction with other people until their natural death. That is fair and just.

How about you people who think “everyone has the right to live” let some of these death row inmates babysit your kids. No its not a deterrent, because these slick dick lawyers always find a loophole or like someone else said spend 10 years using up appeal after appeal. Just start executing the that have been convicted beyond a shadow of a doubt and stick with it, dont let these right to lifers get in the way, eventually these people will get it or be executed

I don’t support the death penalty. Although I don’t live in Illinois, I would hope that lawmakers simply abolish it in their state. I’d like to see Missouri do that, as well.

Compare the rate of violence in society now as opposed to what it was in the 1950’s,and see if all the new liberalistic attitudes now hasn’t increased violence considerably,the lack of death penalty use is just one of them.If you think its safer nowthe ban the death penalty every where,if not,the continue its use,I vote for the fifties. LS

How about not only do you let them babysit your kids, but why don’t you just move them into your house? That way you can go ahead and pay their room and board (maybe get them an education) at the same time. I say it’s time to enforce the death penalty. Some of these prisoners are living better in jail than most of the homeless or low income families in America. They are entitled to 3 meals a day, able to work out, get an education, have a job… what else?

Who are we to decide if someone should be put to death or not? We are not a higher power. I oppose all forms of the death penalty, as well as these stupid mandetory minimums. It is well known that many people are innocent but have been locked up and/or executed.

Now, I might entertain career execution for lawmakers, since they are SO out of touch with what the people want. They work for US, not the reverse!

Life in prison for many only becomes a new way of living. Many criminals control the outside from inside. The public should not have to take the burden of housing, feeding & providing medical care for someone with a death sentence. I agree it solves nothing to execute someone, but for the above reasons I think it should be done.

I do not believe I have the right to take another’s life or ask the state to do it for me. It brings me down to the murderer’s level. We have the means to protect society via life imprisonment.

For those of you who want to execute people to save money, or out of a sense of fairness to those who choose to live a decent life, I do not oppose the death penalty because I disagree with those reasons.

It is about who I say I am. I will not take another life except in self defense of life itself, mine or anothers. I am willing to pay the price and take the risks to incarcerate someone for life, if required, to maintain that commitment.

Agree or not, it is your choice. This is who I am in the world.

Yes, Chris and gigi, our choice is the death penalty or letting them babysit our kids! Simple minds make simple solutions the same as those who write “what if it happened to your family”, etc.

And to those who speak of cost, it is cheaper to imprison people for life than the money spent on appeals. And, despite what Chris would like, people are entitled to appeals. But, then again, perhaps Chris would just have us abolish the state and US Supreme Courts. After all, if “Joe accused of Murder” is not entitled to an appeal, neither should Monsanto, the NRA, etc.

I don’t think that anyone here who is against bringing capital punishment back to the state is arguing for protection of criminals. Our justice system is imperfect - based on the amount of money people have, they can buy themselves good enough lawyers to keep them off of death row or out of jail altogether, whereas some do not. There are people walking around free today who have committed heinous crimes because of our often disappointing legal system, and likewise, logic would dictate that for such a system, many who are not guilty are also awaiting their turn on death row. Example A: A certain former NFL player.

Additionally, the risk of executing an innocent person is a real concern. You can always allow a person to be found innocent to go free, but capital punishment is, as we know, not exactly the type of mistake the state can reverse. What kind of nation would we be that kills its innocent citizens? Remember the maxim that it is better to let 100 guilty men live than to execute one innocent individual. If it sounds crazy, think about how you would feel if you or your son or daughter were that individual. We must hold our government to the highest standards of conduct possible.

On the flipside, the capital punishment system is frought with contradiction and frankly, doesn’t do REAL justice. If we are going to have capital punishment, we might as well make it truly just - with a loose reading of the “cruel and unusual punishment” rule in our Constitution. To me, there are some people for whom I think the death penalty is nowhere near enough. Tim McVeigh, anyone? It would almost be better if we used a more primitive method to dispense with such monsters instead of giving them a drug to put them to sleep before they are given a lethal injection. We should all meet our maker so peacefully. The questions recently about the possible “pain” a convict could feel as this was being administered are laughable when I think about a man such as this receiving this treatment. If my loved ones were harmed or killed by another person, I would think they deserve much worse. Where is the justice in them receiving a such a gentle death if they hurt your family in a violent way? There’s no WAY I would be satisfied with that.

Also, let’s go back to Tim McVeigh. This guy got exactly what he wanted, to go to his death thinking he was a martyr and that the big bad gov’t was having him killed. He felt no remorse. Had he been left to rot in jail and at the mercy of his fellow “bunkies” for the rest of his miserable life, THAT would have been painful and hideous. There’s more punishment in a life’s worth of prison than there is in a moment of painless death in your sleep. If only we could dole it out flawlessly, every single time, and the exact amount of pain inflicted by this person would be exactly what they feel or worse as they die.

Until we have a perfect justice system, which will be never, the state should not be in the business of killing - especially doing it in such an unsatisfying, unjust way.

I think there should be a death penalty for murderers and rapists, however, our legal system is run by people, and people make mistakes, so I don’t think our current legal system should be deciding to kill as a punishment. A jury of our ‘peers’ are usually anything but. I don’t think I’d want 10 or 12 people too stupid to get out of jury duty weighing scientific forensic evidence to determine if I committed a crime or not, if I hadn’t in fact committed it. I don’t think I can approve of bringing back executions when there’s just too much room for error. While in theory I support capitol punishment, in reality, it’s horrifying to think that our legal system has probably killed people for crimes they did not commit.

I have thought about his for years and years and then thought”what if it’s my family” but decided I don’t think anyone has the right to take a life.

For those of you looking for a reason to oppose the death penalty. You don’t need one. You can choose to oppose the death penalty because you choose to.

I am a friend of the parents of Kimberly Vaughn and her three children, who were all slaughtered by their husband and father, Chris Vaughn, who sits in an Illinois prison, and should definitly should receive the death penalty. Those three children were all baptized in my church, and thanks to their own father are now in heaven with their mother. I believe a monster who kills his wife and three innocent little children deserves to be executed. Yes, I do believe Illinois should reinstate the death penalty!

As a Missouri citizen I think it’s completely wrong to comment on how another state conducts business unless it directly affects me. To comment on Missouri, then, I hope the death penalty remians available. I’d also hope that the standards for applying it are based on direct DNA evidence and that its only used it murder cases.

But I won’t be presumptious enough to tell another state how to behave. Thats for its citizens to decide.

We know without a doubt that innocent people have been wrongly placed on death row, and then removed. It is reasonable to assume that at some time, the appeals process failed to catch one, and an innocent person was killed. That is an abomination. Hardly any other nations have capital punishment. Outside of Asia & Africa, there are very few nations that allow capital punishment. Many of these have violent crime rates a small fraction of what we have in the US. I know there are many other factors, but it certainly makes one question the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent.

I’m pro death penalty. Let’s say we have a person who murdered someone in a grisly fashion and we have conclusive evidence on video and also DNA evidence. Can you guarantee to me that if we put this person in prison that they will never kill again? The death penalty is the only guarantee that would guarantee everyone’s safety from this person ever killing again.

I want those who are against the death penalty to be responsible for if this person murders again.

Those who commit crimes against others are having free reign to do so as the penalties are no where near the benefits of committing the crime in their heads. I’m against prisons. However, I am all for canings. Look at other countries with the lowest crime rates and replicate what they do to deter further crime. I believe that Singapore has the lowest crime rate in the world.

Note that I am against the death penalty for rapists as a person was not killed. I believe a male rapist should be caned and also castrated and if a female raped someone, she should be caned and some sex organs removed. I also believe that a criminal should have to pay for the administration of the penalty, such as having to pay for their time in jail and for the castration surgery, to add insult to injury.

We’ve tried the way of those who want to be light on criminals for many decades. Let’s try my proposal and then we can see crime rates decline significantly.

I fail to see how having a policy of killing people sets a good example that killing is bad and people shouldn’t do it. It is very hypocritical.

I do believe everyone has a right to appeal. I am not talking about rewriting the constitution, although I would consider an update. I honestly believe that our forefathers could not have imagined in the wildest dreams some of the things that people do to other people. People who are convicted beyond a shadow of a doubt have no place in decent society. Child rapists, murderers they do not need to be in jail getting an education, working out in the weight room, watching cable, having three meals a day, while I work two jobs, pay my taxes and try to raise two boys. I never thought in a million years that when I grew up and had children that I would have to talk to them about sex and drugs at age 7 and 8, only due to the lack of parenting skills by their fellow classmates parents. I wonder how some of you anti death penalty people would feel if some of the things that we all read about and see on t.v. happen to you. Besides if everyone was honest and played by the rules we would need prisons. Besides, murderers, rapists, thieves, drug dealers and child molesters really have nothing to worry about with people like you guys weeping for them. They rely on your pity so they can commit their choice of crimes and then once returned to society they can reoffend.

Dan S wrote “I want those who are against the death penalty to be responsible for if this person murders again.”

Okay, then are you going to take responsibility for all those who have been wrongly executed?

The punishment should fit the crime.If someone takes a life,than they should gave their’s.I do agree that the death penality don’t deter crime,but do punish those who do murder.With DNA evidence the way it is now,it should be impossible for an inocent person to be executed.

One thing rarely mentioned in this debate is our multitude of levels of killng another and how the punishment ranges. For example, here in Missouri someone could be put to death when found guility of Murder in the First Degree. However, someone might get a slap on the wrist for killing the same number of people in a drunk driving accident.

If someone shoots someone in the course of a bank robbery, they could get the death penalty. If someone shoots their wife while making a hole in the wall for the television cable, well we just put that aside (a true story, mind you). Both cases, someone was shot. The bank robber probably didn’t intend to shoot someone, just rob the bank–no more intention than the guy who shot his wife.

For that matter, you could have practically identical killings, one man gets the death penalty and another 15 years in prison. Further investigation might show that class, race, juror bias, and access to a good lawyer all affect how punishment is applied. Don’t you think we need to straighten all of this out until we open up the executions of a select few?

This is a very emotional subject, and even spiritual for some. With that in mind, I’m not deriding anyone else’s position, they are entitled to their own opinion, and I’m not trying to change any minds – just state my opinion.

I am pro death penalty. Before I get into my reasons, I first want to comment about former Gov. Ryan. He was, and is, a crook. He pardoned the death row as a publicity stunt to try and draw attention away from his crimes. Although it didn’t prevent him from serving time, it has worked to some extent (he was even nominated for the Nobel Peace prize!). I wonder, if GW Bush were to pardon all the people on Federal death row, would there suddenly be people nominating him for the Peace Prize? Anyway, back to the death penalty.

First, on innocent people being executed, I will paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia when he commented that no innocent people have been executed during the modern era of the death penalty (1976 on). He also pointed out that if an executed person had been later proved to be innocent that the anti-death penalty people would shout their names and stories “from the roof tops”. This country has many, many layers of appeals – and a legal system that strongly favors clever lawyers. If the evidence is really that weak, most convictions will get overturned (we err on the side of caution). A quick look through the death row of any state will reveal a veritable rouges gallery – monsters who committed unspeakable crimes – and were caught red handed. These people deserve their appeals to try and prove their innocence, but most are so guilty all they try to do is delay the inevitable or find some technicality to commute their sentence to life in prison.

That last point – people on death row try to get their sentences commuted to life in prison – ties into my next argument. Why do they want it commuted? They fear death. Despite what the anti-death penalty people say (endlessly repeating it doesn’t make it true), the death penalty does deter crime. The studies are at odds over how many murders can be prevented by each execution (estimates vary between a low of 3 to a high of 18), but they all agree that the death penalty IS a deterrent. Here is a quick link to an article talking about the studies (first Google result):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/11/AR2007061100406.html

I guess in theory, I can see how people oppose the death penalty. The “what if” scenarios have a near limitless ability to conjure doubt. However, every time I look at the death penalty in action, it always involves really nasty people who have committed really nasty crimes. Like the woman here who killed a pregnant woman and cut her child out to keep. Or the woman in East St. Louis who killed another pregnant mother, and her three children (stuffed the children’s bodies in a washing machine). A quick read through these files is enough to convince me that some crimes truly do deserve to be punished by death.

No.

I think we should execute anyone that has been found guilty of capital crimes. They get their appeals. Once they are done put them down so the taxpayers don’t have to support them.

Again, I don’t think anyone here is weeping for the murderers and rapists out there who truly deserve to die. What a bizarre and simple-minded conclusion to make. Just because someone is opposed to capital punishment, it means they are rooting for the killers? That’s like saying someone who questions the war in Iraq is “aiding the terrorists.” It’s really easy for someone to construct a straw-man argument like that - which doesn’t really exist, since again, no one is crying for the criminals - and then knock it down. There are many reasons a person might feel the way they do about any particular issue. It’s called complexity - let’s delve into it.

It’s the idea that a government can kill you, based on a far from perfect legal system, that makes people uncomfortable with capital punishment. Sure, if every crime were on camera, with DNA evidence and with a signed confession, then execute away, I say - don’t even bother making it painless, go back to the firing squads and hangings and guillotine even. Look through the newspaper each day and you will find countless murderers and monsters who deserve no better, and some, far, far worse. If only it were that simple, every time. Show me a world like that, and I’ll show you a superhero movie or a comic book. Scratch that, comic books have gotten pretty sophisticated.

If we knew for sure that every person we were executing was absolutely 100% guilty and we had a perfect litmus test for evil, notwithstanding mental problems (the State of Texas, in particular, has knowingly executed mentally retarded persons), then I am all for the death penalty. We do not live in that world, though, and our legal system is such that on a case by case basis - the system we have now - we make mistakes and will end up executing someone who does not deserve it, or, on the flipside, will end up letting a guilty person live their life out in jail.

This is not a false choice, it is something that is going on by the thousand every day. Either we as a society must be okay with executing innocent people, or we must abolish capital punishment altogether. I, for one, say to err on the side of caution, that is, NOT executing blameless citizens.

I’m sorry Suzy but that was a very bad comparative example. The bank robber versus the dumb shmuck trying to put a hole in the ceiling? The bank robber didn’t intend to kill anyone? No, but he went into a criminal activity armed to prevent capture. The purpose of the gun wasn’t to do any good. If he’d go in weaponless, he’d simply be arrested. The gun was used to intimidate. Committing a criminal act automatically puts the assumption out that harm will be done. While I don’t have warm feeling for the poor carpenter, he was just a dumb schmuck that thought his gun would be more efficient than a drill. He wasn’t in the middle of committing a crime or trying to frighten or intimidate people. His was a very stupid household accident.

Now I will say that a reckless drunk driver that kills a number of people should be executed. Especially if they’ve had a history of alcohol related violations.

Missouri citizens should not tolerate extremely violent offenders.

Dan S: following your logic, that those oposed to the death penalty be responsible for failures in the system if it ever were to be repealed, consider that since you have agreed to participate in a system transportation made of traffic laws and driver and vehicle examinations desinged for our safety, that every traffic death that occurs after this point should be your responsibility. It is point made to the absurd.

We accept the responsibility for the failings in the system daily including wrongful executions and the falsely convicted. It is the price we pay for agreeing to be a lawful community, and taking on managing ourselves in the way we do. I accept responsibility for the executions that have occurred on my watch in the face of my opposing it, and those that occured when I was a younger man and supported it.

Let’s imagine a violent person who escapes and murders someone for their first time. Who’s fault is that? Maybe we should be safer, and execute everyone who has had 3 felonies, or convicted of a violent crime, or just refuses to abide by even the simplest of societies rules? Who knows what they are capable of, and I do not want to be responsible for what might happen if I fail to take action? After all, the 3 strikers are now on a life sentence and are of no practical use to anybody. Think of the money we would save.

I will not be threatened for opposing executing another human being, my mistake, your mistake, anybody’s mistake. It is the price I am willing to pay for my commitment. No less than the price I would pay, and others are paying now to protect the laws of this country, and its freedoms.

Executing another will make no difference in my loss, it will burden me with retribution, and cause me to willfully rationalize the needless pain and death of another (see definition of cruel). No thanks.

The loss of a life is not the ultimate penalty, nor is it the ultimate sacrifice. We all choose the manner in which our life is spent, a moment in the line of duty, or a life of family and community and a quiet passing. I am grateful for each and every.

For those who choose their hell, and it is a life of not making a difference, I choose to be neither judge or executioner while at least one moment remains for what is possible.

John said, “I fail to see how having a policy of killing people sets a good example that killing is bad and people shouldn’t do it. It is very hypocritical.”

There’s a difference between discipline and abuse. For instance, if someone steals from you and you spank them, that’s discipline. However, if someone did nothing wrong and I spank them, then that’s abuse. Then, John, that means that if I have a gun and shoot at you for no reason, you should not defend yourself and shoot back. You should also let all thieves, rapists, and scheisters take advantage of you and not defend yourself or penalize them in any way according to your reasoning. Just let them keep on raping and killing and committing other crimes. Also, sometimes we have to take someone’s life to prevent them from killing more people than they have already killed. This is for self-defense and protection of society.

suzyjax said, “Dan S wrote “I want those who are against the death penalty to be responsible for if this person murders again.”

Okay, then are you going to take responsibility for all those who have been wrongly executed?”

My answer is that I would take responsibility for the person executed in the case I gave where we have conclusive evidence on video and also DNA evidence.

suzyjax, you still never answered my question about the guilty ones you’d set free or put in prison for several years, who killed others when they got out and I asked first. I can promise you that there are more people who are eligible for the death penalty in this country who are truly guilty and have not been executed than those who never committed a crime and are executed.

If one innocent person has to die, for let’s say a thousand guilty persons to live, this is something regrettable we have to live with. What you and other anti-death penalty persons are saying is that we should let all criminals go free because one of them may be innocent. I’m keeping consistent with your views. Is that correct?

Can you imagine in World War II when we had to stop Hitler? Following consistently with your view, Hitler would now rule the world. Why? Well, there may be some innocent people in the areas of Europe the US and other allied forces are bombing, so we cannot bomb parts of Europe at all and should just let the criminals like Hitler survive as there may be an innocent person down there. We can’t bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki and end the war as there may be some innocent people down there.

The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters, contact info below

Often, the death penalty dialogue gravitates to the subject of innocents at risk of execution. Seldom is a more common problem reviewed. That is, how innocents are more at risk without the death penalty.
 
Living murderers, in prison, after release or escape or after our failures to incarcerate them, are much more likely to harm and murder, again, than are executed murderers.
 
This is a truism.
 
No knowledgeable and honest party questions that the death penalty has the most extensive due process protections in US criminal law.

Therefore, actual innocents are more likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment and more likely to die in prison serving under that sentence, that it is that an actual innocent will be executed.
 
That is. logically, conclusive.
 
16 recent studies, inclusive of their defenses,  find for death penalty deterrence.
 
A surprise? No.

Life is preferred over death. Death is feared more than life.
 
Some believe that all studies with contrary findings negate those 16 studies. They don’t. Studies which don’t find for deterrence don’t say no one is deterred, but that they couldn’t measure those deterred.
 
What prospect of a negative outcome doesn’t deter some? There isn’t one . . . although committed anti death penalty folk may say the death penalty is the only one.
 
However, the premier anti death penalty scholar accepts it as a given that the death penalty is a deterrent, but does not believe it to be a greater deterrent than a life sentence. Yet, the evidence is  compelling and un refuted  that death is feared more than life.

“This evidence greatly unsettles moral objections to the death penalty, because it suggests that a refusal to impose that penalty condemns numerous innocent people to death.” (1)
 
” . . . a serious commitment to the sanctity of human life may well compel, rather than forbid, (capital) punishment.” (1)

“Recent evidence suggests that capital punishment may have a significant deterrent effect, preventing as many as eighteen or more murders for each execution.” (1)
 
Some death penalty opponents argue against death penalty deterrence, stating that it’s a harsher penalty to be locked up without any possibility of getting out.
 
Reality paints a very different picture.
 
What percentage of capital murderers seek a plea bargain to a death sentence? Zero or close to it. They prefer long term imprisonment.
 
What percentage of convicted capital murderers argue for execution in the penalty phase of their capital trial? Zero or close to it. They prefer long term imprisonment.
 
What percentage of death row inmates waive their appeals and speed up the execution process? Nearly zero. They prefer long term imprisonment.
 
This is not, even remotely, in dispute.
 
Life is preferred over death. Death is feared more than life.
 
Furthermore, history tells us that “lifers” have many ways to get out: Pardon, commutation, escape, clerical error, change in the law, etc.

In choosing to end the death penalty, or in choosing not implement it, some have chosen to spare murderers at the cost of sacrificing more innocent lives.
 
——–
 
Furthermore, possibly we have sentenced 20-25 actually innocent people to death since 1973, or 0.3% of those so sentenced. Those have all been released upon post conviction review. The anti death penalty claims, that the numbers are significantly higher, are a fraud, easily discoverable by fact checking.

6 inmates have been released from death row because of DNA evidence.  An additional 9 were released from prison, because of DNA exclusion, who had previously been sentenced to death.

The innocents deception of death penalty opponents has been getting exposure for many years. Even the behemoth of anti death penalty newspapers — The New York Times — has recognized that deception.

“To be sure, 30 or 40 categorically innocent people have been released from death row . . . “. ‘ (2) This when death penalty opponents were claiming the release of 119 “innocents” from death row. Death penalty opponents never required actual innocence in order for cases to be added to their “exonerated” or “innocents” list. They simply invented their own definitions for exonerated and innocent and deceptively shoe horned large numbers of inmates into those definitions - something easily discovered with fact checking.

There is no proof of an innocent executed in the US, at least since 1900.

If we accept that the best predictor of future performance is past performance, we can reasonable conclude that the DNA cases will be excluded prior to trial, and that for the next 8000 death sentences, that we will experience a 99.8% accuracy rate in actual guilt convictions. This improved accuracy rate does not include the many additional safeguards that have been added to the system, over and above DNA testing.

Of all the government programs in the world, that put innocents at risk, is there one with a safer record and with greater protections than the US death penalty?
 
Unlikely.
 
———————–
Full report -  All Innocence Issues: The Death Penalty, upon request.

Full report - The Death Penalty as a Deterrent, upon request
 
(1) From the Executive Summary of
Is Capital Punishment Morally Required? The Relevance of Life-Life Tradeoffs, March 2005
Prof. Cass R. Sunstein,   Cass_Sunstein(AT)law.uchicago.edu
 Prof. Adrian Vermeule ,   avermeule(AT)law.harvard.edu
Full report           http://aei-brookings.org/admin/authorpdfs/page.php?id=1131
 
(2) “The Death of Innocents’: A Reasonable Doubt”,
New York Times Book Review, p 29, 1/23/05, Adam Liptak,
national legal correspondent for The NY Times
—————————–

Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail  sharpjfa@aol.com,  713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
 
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS , VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O’Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
 
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.
 
Pro death penalty sites 

homicidesurvivors(dot)com/categories/Dudley%20Sharp%20-%20Justice%20Matters.aspx

www(dot)dpinfo.com
www(dot)cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPinformation.htm
www(dot)clarkprosecutor.org/html/links/dplinks.htm
www(dot)coastda.com/archives.html
www(dot)lexingtonprosecutor.com/death_penalty_debate.htm
www(dot)prodeathpenalty.com
www(dot)yesdeathpenalty.com/deathpenalty_co
yesdeathpenalty.googlepages.com/home2 (Sweden)
www(dot)wesleylowe.com/cp.html

Permission for distribution of this document, in whole or in part,  is approved with proper attribution.

RCJ,
I realize my comparisons were not equal. They were not meant to be as I was trying to show that the legal system has a multitude of classifications of the crime of killing someone.
As far as the guy who apparently didn’t own a drill and used the gun to put a whole in the wall inadvertantly shooting his wife: I used that example as a story that was just taken on face value. A different man (race, class, new vs old in town), a different county sherrif, well the result of no charges might not have been the same.

There’s a huge difference between the fog of war and the finely tuned logic and rules of the courtroom. We are not talking about civilian casualties, we are talking about our legal system. Decisions in wartime must be made quickly and decisively. Wartime decision-making is MUCH messier, incomparably so - than meting out justice under a tightly controlled system because during war, we don’t have the luxury of time and a whole lot of research, paperwork, and arguing.

We do, however, HAVE that luxury in the courtroom. In fact, that is exactly how our legal system works. It is the due process of the law to which every American is entitled under the Constitution. We are also not talking about the people of a nation with whom we are at war, we are talking about American citizens. Even with all its clearly defined boundaries, however, our legal system is STILL nowhere near perfect. If it were, then capital punishment would be much less controversial, and I’d be all for it.

But this maxim doesn’t say anything about the degree to which somebody deserves to die, if you will. We’ve been talking about the innocent man, let’s talk about the guilty we let live. For every person (let’s assume this person IS guity of their crime) that gets executed, there are 100+ more who probably deserved it more. Sitting in jail right now are countless convicts who deserve to die far more than say, a mentally retarded person (Texas has executed at least 5). You see, the people we end up executing are not necessarily the most evil or dangerous (another example - born-again Christian and truly remorseful Karla Faye Tucker), but the ones convicted in a punishment-happy state, or who are poor and can’t afford a high-priced lawyer, or black, etc. If we are going to execute people, why can’t it be the people that deserve it the most? It’s because the only way we have to determine this is through our legal system, which, as we know, is far from blind and runs on money.

It would be better to abolish the whole thing, since we mete it out clumsily and unfairly. It would prevent us from executing the mentally handicapped and innocent, and might allow us to create a better system that would actually punish the truly vile offenders with a restrictive system where there would be no worries of costly death penalty appeals. Capital punishment now is considered our highest form of punishment, yet we do essentially the same to our beloved pets at the end of their lives as we do to monstrous murderers. These poor excuses for humankind deserve far worse than to be “put to sleep.”

The ethics maxim about how it is preferable to let 100 guilty men live than to execute one innocent man is a maxim which applies to law only, not battle - if it did, I agree, nothing would ever get done. I’m not really okay with it if our government mistakenly executes one of its innocent citizens now and then. I think our country should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one.

chris,

There are many w/out criminal records and those who have never murdered unfit to baby-sit children. You are not making sense at all with your reasoning.

If people are so dangerous that they cannot be placed into society, then they should be put away separate from society with no possibility of being released.

As a Christian I for a long time thought the death penalty was right in our society, but my mind was changed. I was wrong. After Jesus died for all our sins, murderers and all, whenever anyone feels that they are supreme enough to decide who is worthless and undeserving of life or existence, then you yourself are in danger of eternal death.

I understand how people of the Jewish faith can believe in the death penalty, but I certainly can see no way that a Christian can justify the death penalty and not trust God to handle the life or death issues. God is quite capable; He does not want our help in this area.

I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME CRIMES WHICH WARRANT THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY. I ALSO BELIEVE ALL AVENUES SHOULD BE EXAMINED BEFORE DETERMINING AN OFFENDER’S GUILT AND ELIMINATING ANY UNFORSEEN APPEALS. AGAIN, THERE ARE CRIMES WHICH SHOULD BE CLASSSIFIED AS CAPITAL OFFENSES.

For Christians, it is not about what we think or feel about the death penalty. Could some Christian out there prove to me by scripture that the death penalty is acceptable to God for Christians since Christians live under GRACE and not JEWISH LAW?

D. Walker,

Not trying to change your mind (as previously stated) but as a Christian who supports the death penalty, I felt I could answer your question.

For Jesus supporting the death penalty, see Mat 15:3-4 and Mark 7:8-11
For other (new testament) passages supporting it, see Rev. 13:10, 1Tim 1:8-9, Rom 13:4
There are more, and a good analysis of the Bible’s teaching on the death penalty can be found here:
http://www.theologyonline.com/DEATH.HTML

When it comes right down to it, the bible supports capital punishment.

Mathew 15:3-4 is not a support for the death penalty. It is narrowly quoted to purposefully misrepresent Jesus’ reference to the laws of the Old Testament in his conversations with the Pharisees (keepers of the law.) Jesus was revealing their hypocracy to them. These are the ways that Jesus came to transform. Read the complete refernce, Mathew 15:1-11.

The Mark reference is the same story from Mark. Once again Jesus is sharing the Pharisees hipocracy around the laws. The laws Jesus is here to transform.

Collapsing the Old and New Testament message does great harm to the Christian faith. I did not read the other references, I suspect they are equally self serving in supporting a persons view of the death penalty.

A simple story from the New Testament, John 8:1-11, represents Jesus’ view of sin, judgment, and executing others.

For D Walker: the empty cross represents the Christian faith. It is an ancient instrument of human execution, and without the body of Christ it symbolizes our belief in life over death, in all things.

It is no accident that Jesus himself was sentenced to death and executed while his followers watched. That story represents this very conversation, and each of them then had their reasons, except Jesus. He had his word, and he honored it.

Jesus’ message is clear, acceptance and forgiveness is the way to love, first of yourself, and then others.

Dan S - your response is idiotic. Because I think killing someone isn’t appropriate punishment I can’t defend myself? There’s a difference there. Because of what I wrote you think I just want to let everyone go? That’s idiotic. If one of your kids beats the other on the head with a bat, do you discipline him by hitting him on the head with a bat? Or do you select a more mature method of making your point? If a mugger knifes a guy in the leg, do we knife him in the leg and steal his wallet and then let him go? No, he goes to jail. So why is killing a killer granted an exception to this?

Thanks Scott K,

Anomanb, none of the scripture you’ve quoted justifies Christians condoning or believing in the death penalty.

There is not one Christ follower in the New Testament responsible for executing or putting to death anyone. Men who were not in Christ did these executions. These executors did not belong to Christ because they had not believed upon Him or in Him as their Lord and Savior. The world is part of the world system under the control of Satan. So it is not surprising that we have unjust laws that are in conflict with the will of God. Also nothing is fair about how the death paenalty is applied to some and not others. It is just plain wrong altogether and man is over stepping his God given role in life.

In Revelations 9:21 it is says, “Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic, their sexual immorality or their stealing”.

So you see, God even offers His grace to murderers, giving even them the opportunity to turn their hearts to Him and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Scripture also tells Christians to not be surprised at the painful tests we will suffer, because it is to be expected and we are to be thankful and glad that we are sharing in Christ’s sufferings.

Then goes on to tell us that we must make sure if we are suffering that it is not because we are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people’s affairs and that Christians will be the first to be judged. [1 Peter 4-15].

So you can see here that God intends for us to suffer consequences for murder, but not condemnation (death).

We can see examples also in scripture where one’s were murdered by murderers pleaded with the Lord to not hold their sin of murders against them, even though some may see this as something that had to be done because these that were murdered were innocent.

So, you see if God were able to show His grace towards murderers that kill the innocent, why wouldn’t God not show grace towards murderers today?

We are commanded to not make false accusations, and to not put an innocent person to death, for God says that He will condemn anyone who does such an evil thing. [Exodus 23:6].

If we were expected to live under the as you are using scripture to justify the death penalty, then we would be putting to death:

Those who practiced magic

Those who has sex with animals

Those who offer sacrifices to any other god except the Lord.

Those who strike their mother or father.

Those who kidnap someone, either to sell him or keep him as a slave.

As we can see from the list, our society is far from God; we do not even take most of these things all that serious today. Even those who are kidnapped and used as sex slaves get slaps on the hand.

Remember when God’s servant Stephan was stoned to death by the Jews from the synagogue of the Freedman, and where Saul who became Paul approved of his murder? They murdered Stephan and Stephan prayed to the Lord, like Jesus had prayed to the Father (God) that He not remember their sin of murder against them. [Acts 7:57-60, 8:1].

But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. [Luke 23:34].

He like Jesus was prayed for them to have the opportunity to live and be given the opportunity to come into repentance and turn away from their sins. This is what Jesus and Stephan was asking for when they ask for their sins not to be held against them.

The above shows that we are not to condemn others. When we execute a sinner we condemn them. Without God’s grace and the sacrifice of Jesus, most of us alive deserve death. Only God has the authority to condemn, but we are to pray that God call these one’s to Him, even as they are placed into prison for life. Doesn’t mean that they will turn away from their sins, most people we are already told will not turn away from there sins even after God has called them to Him regardless of what their sins are. But, no Christian is to condemn anyone to death, not even in your hearts. When we feel that a person should pay with their life any crime, this is that fleshly part of us in operation, not the love of Christ or appreciation of all that He has done for us flowing through us that desires such a fleshly thing, this I am sure of. No matter what sins are crimes one has committed because Christians live under the grace of the New Testament, not under the Laws of the Old Testament we must not condemn anyone to death. I notice in scripture that God has His ways of allowing Satan who operates through people carry out many deeds. But, Christians must not be in the business of condemning others.

…Those who do not love are still under the power of death. Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them. This is how we know what love is: Christ gave His life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action. [1 John 3: 14-18].

Whether you are a Christian or not, when you choose to execute someone you end all possibility for them, and for yourself for them.

Execution is an attempt at retribution. In my view, there is no just payment for murder or any crime we may think worthy of execution. Short of that, it becomes an act of revenge. I just am not inspire by that.

I realize that God’s will is for everyone to be Christ like, (we would have a perfect world if that would be) but, we also must believe God’s truth that most are under the power of Satan and are very much part of this world, meaning that they are under the power of Satan in most areas of their lives. So many of those who say that they are Christians are under Satan’s power and are blind to it. Their thoughts and will (pleasing their fleshly thoughts are most important) than God’s will, (such as the death penalty) concerning most matters in their lives. These things will also be because of Satan in the world influencing people who are not always on guard protecting their minds protecting His influences from corrupting their thoughts. A Christian’s thoughts must always be in line with what is taught through the Holy Scriptures.

I spoke in the sense of Christians because hey are fooling themselves if they think they are right in God’s eyes on this issue. This country claims that it is a Christian nation and the fact that we have Christian pastors, ministers, etc.., who support the death penalty in error, and with such stubbornness and a refusal to see God’s truth, they themselves are in danger of the eternal death just as the murderer is. And yes, to some of those who don’t think it should be so, but a murderer can have salvation just like anyone else can if they repent and turn away from sin and except Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become faithful Christians.

If Christians do not repent and change their mind in this area and begin worshipping Christ in spirit and in truth, and begin teaching this truth they are in danger of the eternal death.

It should be elementary to anyone who knows the reason for Jesus Christ to see that those Old Testament scriptures being quoted to justify the death penalty are non-sense, and those New Testament scriptures being quoted, has absolutely nothing at all to do with the subject at hand.

I once believed that the death penalty was a justifiable act of self defence by society.

I then had an experience of profound freedom and power. Surprisingly, it occurred around a small and seemingly unimportant thing. It caused me to realize that anything is possible, and I will not now dismiss or reason away possibility.

On the other hand, I will not condemn or threaten others with enternal spiritual damnation because they do not see what I see.

Being related through marriage to one of these poor innocent misunderstand, unloved men, let me tell you, they should not only bring executions back, they should do them. The poor sweet thing that I was related to claimed over and over that he was innocent - wrongfully convicted of this terrible crime. He would say that he was “different” from the others in prison and that they were all guilty and bragged about their crimes back in the “wing.” But, when visitors came to visit, they boo hooed and claimed they were innocent. Finally, he admitted that he was guilty of the crime he was convicted of. He sits back in prison and writes men and/or women letters and asks for money to make life a “little easier” for him. He has brought in more money than those of us who work. He spoke of “disposing” of people if he were out. You hear about the ones that claim they found religion while in prison. I knew of a man that worked with prison ministries that visited one such prisoner. He made fun of the man, rolled his eyes when he was reading the Bible with the man, yet he ate like a pig on the man’s money. And then he claimed he had found religion while in prison. For those of you bleeding hearts that think that everyone in prison has had a raw deal, think again. How many of these men that were sent to death row were law abiding, kind and loving souls? Come on. It’s time to face reality. There really are truly evil people in this world. There are victims who have suffered horribly at their hands. Aren’t we forgetting the true victims while feeling compassion for cold blooded murderers? Want to leave your children in care of any of the death row inmates? Want to have them living next door to you? There is only one way to make sure they never get out on a technicality. There is only one way to assure they won’t commit any more crimes. Where is your anger at what they have done? Where is your compassion for the victims? Wake up and bring executions back.

Speaking with Jesus as my example, I would say if you are righteous enough to hold those beliefs then execute them.

I won’t participate.

Cathy7,

No one is saying that there should not be consequences for what we call capital offenses and that these murderers should baby-sit or be allowed back into society. What I am saying is that our laws need to be adjusted to make sure a life sentence with no possibility of parole is just that, a life sentence.

If you think these types of people are the only evil people around then you don’t understand what evil is. Evil shows it face in every aspect of life and society. There are evil attorneys, evil judges and evil leaders who do not murder, murderers are not the only evil people in a society.

My faith and trust n God to decide who should be condemned (death) is so strong that I no longer don’t worry about these things. And due to Satan being in the world, I realize that there will be devastating deaths and murders. What I do worry about is how society is not allowing God the power to handle things.

I look at many stories of the Bible concerning how God is capable of handling things, even something as small as lying, which is really no small thing, but society today thinks that it is a small thing.

I think about the story about Ananias and Sapphira, when you allow God to be judge, he will act. In that story: Acts 4:1-10:

There was a man named Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira sold some property that belonged to them. But with his wife’s agreement he kept part of the money for himself and turned the rest over to the apostles. Peter said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property? Before you sold the property, it belonged to you; and after you sold it, the money was yours. Why, then, did you decide to do such a thing? You have not lied to people - you have lied to God! As soon as Ananias heard this, he fell down dead; and all who heard about it were terrified. The young men came in, wrapped up the body, carried him out, and buried him.

About three hours later his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. Peter asked her, “Tell me, was this the full amount you and your husband received for your property?” “Yes,” she answered, “the full amount.”

So Peter said to her, “Why did you and your husband decide to put the Lord’s Spirit to the test? The men who buried your husband are at the door right now, and they will carry you out too! At once she fell down at his feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

The reason that people are committing such evil crimes as the young woman who cut open the womb of the pregnant young lady and murdered her two other children and men raping babies and small children, husbands killing their wives and babies, fathers killing their children, mothers killing their children, all these demonic things at such rapid rates today, the young man who just murdered at least eight people this week, gangs and their senseless murders etc. We are seeing serious demonic activity in our society today.

Satan is over taking people because God is far away from most people’s hearts and mind. He isn’t even a thought today to most people. What you are seeing is demonic oppression of people, much evil because of this and, the fact that people are unknowingly opening up doors for Satan to enter into their hearts and minds by the different sins that they are doing and experimenting with, knowing nothing about spiritual matters where sin and especially certain types of sin is concerned.

There was a time in American society where even before giving testimonies in court, people had to give a sworn oath placing their hands on the Holy Scriptures, which was an oath also to God that they were telling the truth, it was not just an oath to the court. There is Spirit within the Holy Scriptures, and God’s Spirit at work when He is in the hearts and minds of people.

No wonder it is nothing for people to lie under oath today and commit such unthinkable acts. Witnesses, civilian and policemen and authorities alike, so many of them lie and are capable of such evil today, this type behavior is no longer isolated but is very much the norm in today’s society. Wherever God is welcomed, He is near.

When I hear ones like cathy7 speak, it remind s me of myself, all the hate and bitterness I had within myself due to the actions of evil people, I wished death upon them, and certainly did not even want God to forgive such people, it was unthinkable to me for such people who had done such evil things could possibly have the a opportunity to have salvation. I didn’t even want them to change; I just wished that they would be removed from this earth. Even after I knew this was not God’s will, I use to speak with God in prayer and say to Him; “ I can’t lie to You, you know how I feel, I hate them and I want them to die, I know it is not your way that I have these feelings, but it is what I feel and it is real, I can’t help it, but since you are God, you can change my heart I can’t do it.
The evil in this world was getting the best of me. God tells us to not let evil over come us. You see, it is natural to want revenge, but God has called us to be greater, and we can be through the strength that we have through the Holy Spirit to help us gurad our thoughts and actions. Revenge is all that the death penalty is.

What about the victim, cathy7 asks. My question is how is killing a victims murderer helping the victim? The statement in itself shows the ugly sin of revenge.

It took a years for my heart to completely change concerning the death penalty, revenge etc. I had so much hate in my heart because of evil people and corrupt people who I felt deserved to be hated. I had legitimate reasons to hate these people I justified to myself.

As only God can, He worked a miracle within my heart to be in line with His way of thinking. It has been a very hard and painful road God molding my heart to reflect more of His.

If one does not control their thoughts and guard their mind, especially Christians, Satan will enter it. I think about Charles Thornton of Kirkwood, this is exactly what took place, Satan over took his thoughts and mind to destroy others and himself. One must keep their mind on God and guard their thoughts all the more through trying times and when all else fail to never stop trusting God to fight these most difficult battles that we come across in life.

Also, Scott, I am not condemning anyone to hell because they don’t agree with me. I am only stating what the New Testament, God’s word state concerning these matters and the danger God’s word tells us that we in of eternal damnation because of our hearts not being set straight concerning these very things. Same with abortions, at some point in order for a person to come to God, they will have to repent from that act and all other sins in their life and turn away from SIN for forgiveness and the hope of salvation.

God is the only One who can both create life and take it away. Satan can only take it away, destroying it. We know the murderer is acting out on Satan’s behave. But, we must not be partners with Satan in destroying lives.

In my opinion capitol punishment puts all of us at a lower level. I don’t think our court system is as good as many of us would like to think. I therefore say NO to capitol punishment.