Should we (the U.S.) increase the number executions?

[true liberty]

the death penalty should be illegal. the state should not be allowed to determine who gets to live or die.

[Associate Justice PiT]

the death penalty should be illegal. the state should not be allowed to determine who gets to live or die.

     Indeed. What is the state other than an assembly of private citizens, after all? I doubt anyone would support the notion that a mob should have hegemonic rights over the continued life of any & all of the other people living in the lands it claims as its own

[true liberty]

Indeed. What is the state other than an assembly of private citizens, after all?

a conglomerate of our most corrupt and power hungry, tied in with the wealthiest of elites, with a monopoly on power and no desire to follow the so-called "supreme law of the land."

[Associate Justice PiT]

Indeed. What is the state other than an assembly of private citizens, after all?

a conglomerate of our most corrupt and power hungry, tied in with the wealthiest of elites, with a monopoly on power and no desire to follow the so-called "supreme law of the land."

     Well that's the station it has assumed, but if you think about it the state is really just a group of people who have assumed authority, which we accept for a variety of reasons.

[CJK]

the death penalty should be illegal. the state should not be allowed to determine who gets to live or die.

We have juries.

[SPC]

CJK, Office Park....good ownage! 

(And yes...I'd support dramatically increasing the use of the death penalty and making it a lot quicker.  Lethal injection is too expensive.  Wouldn't a simple bullet to the back of the head be cheaper and actually a lot quicker?)

And what happens if you accidentally get the wrong guy?

That's a red-herring in my view, spc, because you can get the wrong guy and stick him in jail for 50 years.  I have heard more stories of guys being locked up nearly forever in error than I ever have of innocent people being executed.  Does it happen, it's inevitable and horrible, sure.  The death penalty system is not as effective as it could be in the deterence area if it weren't for the layers and layers of appeals to make sure they don't execute an innocent person.

But to say we might get the wrong guy should not be a part of the argument, in my view.

I would personally prefer a restitution-based system over either life imprisonment or capital punishment. What good does it do to put what could be up to 50 years of labor to waste when it could be used to pay off the family of the victim? And if it is later demonstrated that the person is innocent, they can have their money returned to them.

[Torie]

CJK, Office Park....good ownage! 

(And yes...I'd support dramatically increasing the use of the death penalty and making it a lot quicker.  Lethal injection is too expensive.  Wouldn't a simple bullet to the back of the head be cheaper and actually a lot quicker?)

And what happens if you accidentally get the wrong guy?

That's a red-herring in my view, spc, because you can get the wrong guy and stick him in jail for 50 years.  I have heard more stories of guys being locked up nearly forever in error than I ever have of innocent people being executed.  Does it happen, it's inevitable and horrible, sure.  The death penalty system is not as effective as it could be in the deterence area if it weren't for the layers and layers of appeals to make sure they don't execute an innocent person.

But to say we might get the wrong guy should not be a part of the argument, in my view.

I would personally prefer a restitution-based system over either life imprisonment or capital punishment. What good does it do to put what could be up to 50 years of labor to waste when it could be used to pay off the family of the victim? And if it is later demonstrated that the person is innocent, they can have their money returned to them.

Most killers don't have fat bank accounts unfortunately. And if there are in fact OJ, well they get sued civilly.

[SPC]

CJK, Office Park....good ownage! 

(And yes...I'd support dramatically increasing the use of the death penalty and making it a lot quicker.  Lethal injection is too expensive.  Wouldn't a simple bullet to the back of the head be cheaper and actually a lot quicker?)

And what happens if you accidentally get the wrong guy?

That's a red-herring in my view, spc, because you can get the wrong guy and stick him in jail for 50 years.  I have heard more stories of guys being locked up nearly forever in error than I ever have of innocent people being executed.  Does it happen, it's inevitable and horrible, sure.  The death penalty system is not as effective as it could be in the deterence area if it weren't for the layers and layers of appeals to make sure they don't execute an innocent person.

But to say we might get the wrong guy should not be a part of the argument, in my view.

I would personally prefer a restitution-based system over either life imprisonment or capital punishment. What good does it do to put what could be up to 50 years of labor to waste when it could be used to pay off the family of the victim? And if it is later demonstrated that the person is innocent, they can have their money returned to them.

Most killers don't have fat bank accounts unfortunately. And if there are in fact OJ, well they get sued civilly.

I realize that. Thus, the murderer would have to find a legitimate profession to work in, and pay a majority of that to the kin of the victim.