N.J. to vote on abolishing death penalty

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"We live in dangerous times," said Sen. Gerald Cardinale. "While there are problems with the way the death penalty is administered in New Jersey, abolishing it is not the solution."

Stupid Cardinale. Shouldn't he know that New Jersey hasn't executed anyone since it became legal to do so anyway?

I also really, really hate the "families of victims" who argue in favor of the death penalty; they go on and on about "closure" when all they really want is vengeance.

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How would NJ a "beacon on a hill"?  11 states have already banned the death penalty.

No states have done so since it became legal nationwide. All of the bans on the death penalty date to before the Supreme Court first ruled against the death penalty. In that sense, New Jersey might be considered first because it is reviving the debate.

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If anything, this should be a vote of the people, not the legislature

Why is that, because then it'd have a better chance of not getting abolished?

No - I think if the people voted, it WOULD have a better chance of getting abolished - but it's still the people's right to choose something like this IMO - even if the people disagree with me.

What makes this issue different from any other?  The entire purpose we elect government representatives is to make decisions.  If every single big decision was put to the people, having a government would be rather pointless.

What Gabu said. Personally, I trust government over the people on social issues; people are much more likely to be swayed by mass hysteria (as we see, for example, in the violent calls for public vengeance in death penalty trials).

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What do you mean by this? Do you favor a statist approach when it comes to social policies? If so why do you have a negative social score?

However corruptable and self-serving politicians might be, I certainly trust them over the vast masses in terms of making policy decisions, as the politicians at least have defined stances on the issues rather than just flailing wildly depending on whatever was the last thing that they heard on the subject.

Again, Gabu is articulating the point well. The people don't really have positions, they just charge wildly from one decision to the next, usually without any attempt to be logical or consistent. Moreover, the public is easily swayed by demagogues.

That is not to say that I place a great deal of trust in politicians, many of whom are the demagogues themselves. But I do think they are more consistent and reasonable than the average idiot.

Shoot me, I'm a Platonic.

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I would like to take a moment to applaud my usually incompetent state legislature.

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It's a sad day for NJ.  Although, I do agree w/ the guy who got the DP put back in NJ.  Having the DP gave victims' families a false sense of hope, since NJ normally didn't even get to actually executing anybody on death row.

Hope? Hope that they get their sick fantasies of vengeance fulfilled? I'd rather not give them that hope.