Well, I have to do a speech for class about any topic and I picked Death Penalty so I just thought I'd find out what other people thought about it to get some more ideas.
My opinions: I'm completely against death penalties. Why? Because when you kill someone, that's it. There's no turning back. There's no, "Oops, I made a mistake, this man was innocent!". There's no bringing them back to life.
When you give someone a death penalty, you're giving them no second chance. I believe that everybody deserves a second chance. Everybody deserves to TRY and make their crimes better. Like for example, killing people is one of the crimes that can lead to death penalty. Sometimes, people don't kill people by choice. Sometimes, people don't mean to kill people. Maybe it's because they're upset, maybe they're trying to defend themselves, maybe they're just scared, maybe they suffer a mental illness... But whatever the reason is, it's not ALWAYS because the killer is a bad person. And when people kill because of a reason other than they're bad people, they deserve a second chance. No, it's not like they can make their mistakes right, it's just that they can try to make it better.
And take mental illness for example, sometimes people kill because they're just...crazy. And is that really a crime? I mean, they're just born that way. It's not like they want to be crazy, it's just something they are. And there's really nothing they can do about it. Like imagine you, and you're not exactly pleased with something about yourself like...your nose is crooked, you're just born that way...it's not your fault, right?
So in conclusion, I just think death penalties should not be...well...used. Because everybody can only live once. Once you die, that's it. And is it really fair to take away somebody's life? A life that you didn't even give them in the first place? Are you really in the position to take it away? I mean, who are we to decide whether or not somebody deserves to live?

I agree with you on the fact that the Death Penalty, but I disagree when you said that every one deserve a second chance. If you kill some one you made that choice, People always kill by choice. If they were angry they could have just walked away.

I understand if it was for self-defence. But for any other reason, it was their choice, they knew the consequences and made the choice, they should deal with it.

Anywho, on the point of the death penalty. I don't believe in it. Only because our justice systems are not perfect and by saying that I mean that innocent people could get kill for the crimes they did not commit. Plus for some people death is the easy way out. I say life in Jail, let them suffer.

I'm conpletly against the Death Penalty.
nobody is able to take out someones life,
and the criminals who had, should be punished
with jail penalty, all life if thats the case.
And it was proved that many errors had ocurred in many
countries that accept death penalty.
just a like mistake in your judment and you are dead?
do you think thats right?

I've always believed that the death penalty doesn't really solve anything. What I really think is that when people go to jail they may change when they get out. i.e. They do not kill anymore or even commit any crimes and this may even set an example to the general public that you can change. Also jails aren't that nice of a place. I mean I wouldn't want to go to jail.

Oh I've recently heard on the news that Paris Hilton's gone to jail. I've seen her cell and it looks alright. But to her i'm pretty sure that she'll think its really a crap place to serve time. I mean with her money she would be living in first class homes. i'm pretty sure that she'll learn her lesson for sure. I highly doubt that she'll do that again but thats just my opinion.

Good luck on your oral presentation!

To help you in your speech, the reason to why the death penalty is active in the U.S. government is due heavily to tradition; although it is not a good argument,it is. Moreover, the death penalty is a state's right issue, the national government cannot amend the Constitution to stop the death penalty without going through the state legislators (3/4 approval needed) or though state constitutional conventions ( 3/4 approval needed); and since the South, I know I'm generalizing...sorry, approves of the death penalty, Congress would not achieve the votes needed to amend the Constitution. Although some court cases have arrived to the Supreme Court stateing that the death penelty is a form of creul and unuseal punishment which is prohibited in the Constitution; the defendents loose their case because of precedent (a.k.a. stare decisis) and tradition. Although it may seem that I am pro death penalty, I'm not...but I'm just letting you know why it isn't banned from the U.S.

I'm definitely against Death Penalty, not out of sympathy for the criminal though. I think its a bigger punishment to live your life knowing you have committed a crime than death. Death is more like setting a person free from the tortures of life. I don't believe in second chances unless the person is genuinely innocent. There are more brutal and merciless punishments for criminals who deserve them, other than the death penalty.

I agree that a person deserve a second chance, but not all the case.
there is no "oops I made a mistake and killed someone" not talking about accident, I am talking about murder. I am pretty sure all the murderers knows about consequence, unless they are mentally ill; which either case do not deserve a second chance.
I know some of you guys might think "death penalty does not solve the problem", but lock them up does? what difference does it make to keep them in a cell until they die? what would others learn from it? at least death penalty give people a second thoughts before they do something horrible.

Im against death penalty also...in grade 12 i took a social justice class and i learned that it is not right taking life from anyone. althought it was a catholic school (i am not catholic) a lot of it has to relate to god and about no one has the right to take anothers life since god gave everyone life, but i learned that beside all the religious stuff that killing does not solve anything. It is not for anyone to say that a person should be killed. I also believe that giving the death penalty is no different than a murderer, you are still taking life. for a criminal to full repay his/her crime, you have to allow the criminal to truly understand in their hearts that they have done wrong. like my teacher said "To save someone's life is the greatest thing a person can every do" and the death penalty goes against the quote.

Im actually with the death penalty. Let's face it, life in prison is expensive for the state, why take care of someone who killed people for the rest of his life? finish that bastard off.

Death Penalty or life in prison doesn't really solve anything. They are pretty much the same thing. "But ohh spent, wait hold on! wouldn't life in prison be more painful for the killer?"

Hmm, that would indeed suck, living out your age in a cell. But im sure you know every man is afraid of dying, this is one of the biggest fears of mankind, so there is no difference. Plus i already mentioned, it's expensive keeping a person alive. Nothing is for free. The prisoner needs eat, get dressed, have a relatively clean cell, and all sorts of small crap. Which costs money.


"But the death penalty is cruel"

well, so is murder.

If you have a guilty criminal, don't give him a lighter load to carry. He shortened someone's life, the same should be done to him. He doesn't deserve a break to live longer, he should suffer for what he has committed.

I say its wrong! i dunno.. but i think its wrong.. just my personal opinion

Hmm, well, I think there's situations where the Death Penalty should be used, and others where it should not be used. Like, say, if you were a mass murderer, killed heaps of people and hid their bodies, I think that should get you a "Lifetime Jail" sentence. However, if you were really crazy, like blowing people up, buildings and etc, I reckon you should get the death penalty.

I am not against it at all!
Those who killed some1 deserve to be killed too, without second chance.
but it would've been better if they would make those people that did crimes suffer in jail

Hhahaahaha!! manhattanitgirl, are you an idealist or something? for those who are free thinkers, death penalty are a topic that surely can raise a lot of question among them...but for those who are a good believers and a religion kind of guy, this is something probably you can't go against...in my religion, for those who treat others bad, then the person who's guilty deserve punishment the same as he did to victim...
like when you hurt people, the victim has a right to treat the guilty person the same way he did to him...death=death, bleed=bleed, although this rules are not used now because some rulers think it's against our thinking in modern time...but actually the law those years made are perfect because it was made by god himself...so in my case, i'm totally agree with the death penalty.

We don't have the death penalty here, but I'm against it for numerous reasons.

1. There have been instances where the death penalty has been carried out when the case was very bias. There have been cases in the states where people who are not even old enough to vote have been executed. Often there is also racist prejudice in the ruling as well.

2. Like someone said earlier, if the death penalty is carried out it is impossible to correct it if the court made an error (unlike gaol, where they'll be released and hopefully compensated).

3. Morally and ethically it is wrong to kill a person, no matter what they've done. I stand by that, despite not being religious. I also feel that having a person sit in gaol is probably a lot more painful for them than for them to die.

4. A crime is often judged on the facts and figures, i.e. how many people a serial killer has killed. The mental state of the person is sometimes ignored and not considered an important factor.

With the whole 'second chance' thing, I believe killers don't deserve second chances, because... well... their victims didn't get one, so why should they? But I still feel they should sit in gaol rather than face execution.

From what i think, if they're high class crimes (serial killer, trafficking, well planned crimes, drug dealer, anyother first class crime) then big chance or deserve for death penalty. if killing someone cuz selfdefense / accident / low class crimes big chance or deserve second chance.

but i don't know the fact in reality. maybe im just too naive.