Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Death Penalty

Lebell · 04-25-2003, 02:40 PM

I'll start:

I tend to be conservative in many areas (as some of you are aware), but I diverge with the death penalty.

First, I think there is good reason to believe that we HAVE executed innocent individuals, based on the recent history of DNA evidence clearing men who've been scheduled to die. Obviously the legal system failed them, it was only new technology that spared their lives. What about people who were executed before such technology was available? How many of those men were innocent? There are also cases of corruption among police, laboratories and prosecuters where innocent men have been convicted. While they are alive in prison, there still exists a chance of exoneration. There is no exoneration if you are dead.

My Second reason is purely philosophical and religious. In my world view, our goal is to reach salvation and oneness with God. We struggle to do that throughout our lives as we fail repeatedly. When a person is executed, there is no more opportunity, no more chance to experience epiphany, to experience the saving grace of God.

The Third reason is that I believe the Death penalty is purely societal revenge. This is in opposition to using deadly force to defend oneself or another from serious physical harm or death (which I am NOT opposed to). A brutal killer in prison will not hurt any more innocents. I also don't see that survivors who peg their emotional healing on a revenge killing are better off for it.
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ok, discuss...

04-25-2003, 02:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
Lebell Cracking the Whip Location: Sexymama's arms...	Death Penalty - Why or Why Not? I'll start: I tend to be conservative in many areas (as some of you are aware), but I diverge with the death penalty. First, I think there is good reason to believe that we HAVE executed innocent individuals, based on the recent history of DNA evidence clearing men who've been scheduled to die. Obviously the legal system failed them, it was only new technology that spared their lives. What about people who were executed before such technology was available? How many of those men were innocent? There are also cases of corruption among police, laboratories and prosecuters where innocent men have been convicted. While they are alive in prison, there still exists a chance of exoneration. There is no exoneration if you are dead. My Second reason is purely philosophical and religious. In my world view, our goal is to reach salvation and oneness with God. We struggle to do that throughout our lives as we fail repeatedly. When a person is executed, there is no more opportunity, no more chance to experience epiphany, to experience the saving grace of God. The Third reason is that I believe the Death penalty is purely societal revenge. This is in opposition to using deadly force to defend oneself or another from serious physical harm or death (which I am NOT opposed to). A brutal killer in prison will not hurt any more innocents. I also don't see that survivors who peg their emotional healing on a revenge killing are better off for it. ---------------------- ok, discuss... __________________ "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis The ONLY sponsors we have are YOU! Please Donate!