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A big problem with the death penalty is that as a deterant, I'm not so sure it works. I used to think thatwas because the process was so long and dragged out that it kind of loses its potency. But then, I look at societies that have immediate executions (Saudi Arabia, China), it does not appear that capital punishment is effective (I don't have any hard sources guys, bear with me).
In China, it is carried out immediately upon sentencing (Texas could learn a thing or two from the chinese). It is really cheap - a bullet to the back of the head, billed to the family. Murders, rapist, govt. official who are corrupt - I really like this one. Can you imagine cleaning house in the US? If it were punishable by death then all the Ken Lays etc. Maybe the US would really be good).
But still, crime is not so low there. What about Japan? Isn't their crime rate low? do they have death penalty? Saudi Arabia - man, I would be scared to visit there let alone live there or comit a crime they are so oppressive. but yet, they have a whole bunch of crazies doing crazy things all the time - rape, murder etc.
Capital punishment still doesn't seem to work.
As far as satisfying revenge? I don't know, it doesn't bring your loved one back. Because, I would want the death penalty for drunk drivers, the one who kills my pregnant wife. And I;m not sure I would be any less grieved. Whether it was cold-calculated murder or a stupid, stupid negligent "murder", I would want that guy to be punished too, in theory. So if death penalty for Scott Peterson, then death penalty for the drunk driver or stupid teenage girl on the cell phone driving an SUV without a license who runs over my pregnant wife. And that gets really tricky.
Personally, I think the death penalty is too easy. Some of those a-holes want to be executed!! F that man,! I say 50 years hard labor in the mines at $.50 hour. Then every week he has to mail a check for half or two-third his earnings to the family as restitution. Something like that, you get the point.
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