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My argument for the death penalty...

I admit, any book with the title "Stiffs," is worth goin out to steal. But I'm just too lazy right now, eh, Mo? Tellz us a tale!

Edit: Kay, I see now thatcha added a little addendum to your first post, eh, Mo? 40 heads, all in pans...I wanna see that my own damn self, now!
 
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Kinda makes ya wanna donate your carcas to science so that ya can contribute to the advancement of the delicate art of plastic surgery, know what I'm sayin?
 
Anyways, to kinda git back on topic a little bit, accordin to that there New Scientist article, if you're gittin ready to buy the farm, decapitation aint a bad way to go:

"Beheading, if somewhat gruesome, can be one of the quickest and least painful ways to die - so long as the executioner is skilled, his blade sharp, and the condemned sits still."

But, ya know what? It aint a good as Old Sparky, that's what:

"In accidental electrocutions, usually involving low, household current, the most common cause of death is arrhythmia, stopping the heart dead. Unconsciousness ensues after the standard 10 seconds. The electric chair was designed to produce instant loss of consciousness and painless death - a step up from traditional hangings - by conducting the current through the brain and the heart."
 
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Probably not no more better than a firin squad, neither, they sez:

"If carried out properly, execution by firing squad is a "humane," relatively painless and extremely swift but fairly messy way to kill a human being. If the executioners aim at head, a single hit in the brain, especially at the brain stem, is usually immediately fatal. Since the bullets are faster than neural impulses, it is unlikely the convict will feel any pain. Likewise, a shot at heart is likely to kill the convict immediately.
 
Were you looking for the silliest arguments at your diposal?

Is locking one innocent person up for life an acceptable cost?

Unavoidable, at any rate. Executions can be avoided.


I've known a lot of peoples who died by accident. Car accidents, huntin accidents, gittin drunk and fallin offa cliff accidents, you name it. My only comment on that is this here:

It's UNACCEPTABLE.

Usual disclaimer: IANAL, all interpretations are amatuer.

If through your negligence, you cause the death of a person in a car accident, you can be charged with manslaughter.
If through your negligence, you cause the death of a person in a hunting accident, you can be charged with manslaughter.
If through your negligence, you cause the death of an innocent person by successfully prosecuting them in a capital case, you can't be charged, and are very unlikely to be sanctioned at all, as long as you don't lie while in court.

If through your delberate actions, you cause the death of a person in a car accident, you can be charged with murder.
If through your delberate actions, you cause the death of a person in a hunting accident, you can be charged with murder.
If through your deliberate actions, you cause the death of an innocent person by successfully prosecuting them in a capital case, you can't be charged, and are very unlikely to be sanctioned at all, as long as you don't lie while in court.

So, the comparison of falsely executing people to people dying in accidents is not apt.
 
Fact-free assertions.

While weighing the number of innocent people put to death wrongly (very minute), also weigh the number of people murdered in places where there is no Death penalty deterent.

How does it differ from places where the supposed deterrent exists? If you compared similar locations with similar economic factors, and different capital punishment statutes, is there a difference in the murder rate?

PLEASE dont not tell me it isnt a deterent. I realize most killers will kill regardless and dont give a **** about the outcome, but there are some that think about it and I would have to believe that the number that DONT commit murder because of it outnumber the number of innocent people put to death.

Well, I'd like to see even an anecdote of someone who said, "If this state had the death penalty, I would never have committed this murder, because I thought I would be caught and that it was worth serving life in prison".
 
Executions can be avoided.

So, the comparison of falsely executing people to people dying in accidents is not apt.

Well, Eric, a few things:

1. The deliberate, intended results of an act are not considered "accidents"
2. Not all accidents are caused by the negligence of another party, and I wasn't limiting it to those kinds of accidents.
3. People who negligently injure others are not subject to criminal punishment. Like individuals, the State(s) has frequently paid compensation to persons wrongly convicted by gross negligence
4. Every possible danger can be "avoided." Crime can be completely eliminated easily, just abolish all laws.
 
Well, I'd like to see even an anecdote of someone who said, "If this state had the death penalty, I would never have committed this murder, because I thought I would be caught and that it was worth serving life in prison".

How would such an anecdote have any relevance to someone who never commited murder because he was deterred by the fear of punishment?
 
If through your deliberate actions, you cause the death of an innocent person by successfully prosecuting them in a capital case, you can't be charged, and are very unlikely to be sanctioned at all, as long as you don't lie while in court.

Depending on what you mean by "deliberate actions" here, this is either a bogus comparison or just plain false.

Anyone who frames somebody, perjures themselves, or commits some other unlawful action which results in, or even contributes to, a wrongful conviction is subject to criminal punishment.

Anyone who acts deliberately in seeking a conviction (as all prosecutors do) but in good faith and without deception can not, and SHOULD not, be criminally punished. That is not a fair comparison to someone who has commited premeditated murder.
 
Very few things, indeed.

Well, Eric, a few things:

1. The deliberate, intended results of an act are not considered "accidents"

I agree. An execution is never an accident.

2. Not all accidents are caused by the negligence of another party, and I wasn't limiting it to those kinds of accidents.

I don't recall saying which type of accidents you meant. I was only saying that in certain accidents, criminal culpability applies. This is not true for prosecutors.

3. People who negligently injure others are not subject to criminal punishment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_negligence

It is not limited to homicide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negligent_homicide

Like individuals, the State(s) has frequently paid compensation to persons wrongly convicted by gross negligence.

It does not prosecute prosecutors who act negligently.

4. Every possible danger can be "avoided." Crime can be completely eliminated easily, just abolish all laws.

The danger here is a fatal mistake by the state that seems to provide no benefit to the community, besides satisfying a sense of vengeance. Not all dangers are for equally trivial reasons.
 
How would such an anecdote have any relevance to someone who never commited murder because he was deterred by the fear of punishment?

No one is arguing there should be no punishment, except as a straw man. The only relevant deterrence effect is the difference between life in prison or death.
 
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