Originally posted by Lord Feron
I haven't read all the posts so if i repeated what someone else said kudos to that person. I believe in the death penalty. I don't know why there is death row because it should be like straight out of the court room right into the death pit or whatever. I understand the system we have is not perfect and innocent people do get caught. Hell I would get really pissed but is the life of one in exchanges for the retribution that many familes deserve worth it. No system is without fault but it doesn't mean we can't try for the greater good. Also tax money is being used for holding people on death row, or holding people for life, or holding people who really don't deserve another chance after they most lkeily have repeated a crime unless they just did one heinous crime (this is a special case I know). I also believe that the qualification for the death Penalty should be laxed so that criminals know that the is the ultimate price for crimes on another human being. Fear and death may not be the answer some people say look at so and so country and they have yadda yadda but I don't think it will work for this country. I think criminals or would be criminals fear of execution should stave off much crime. Possibly more extreme sentences for rape or repeated crimes should be in order. And to spend money on maximum security prisons for non-pows/or terrorist related people is ridiculous. If they are that dangerous to the world why let them live. As for people who say human beings or gov do not have the right to do take away life. People with far less morales and ethics do it all the time. So why not defend ourselves against people who are willing to kill. Make it known that there is no life after you just murdered someone there is no future for you to look forward to there is nothing.
I see your point, but as Robtard and I were discussing, a person should NOT be killed if even the innocence is questioned. They need a 100% undeniable conviction...not the decisions of a jury based on eye witnesses and testimony. (We need things like DNA, surveillance, etc.)
I do not agree to the gladiator type of execution, that is barbaric. We are supposed to be progressing as humans not taking steps back.
If specific crimes can be directly correlated to specific or general biological markers, treatments may be available in the future and the death penalty could become obsolete. People could be rehabilitated and integrated back into society. Gene therapy could be a very real solution in the near future.
Though I am talking well beyond my scope of knowledge, if we can change how one thinks, we could reeducate and reintegrate people back into society. This brings up ethical questions such as, "Do we have the right to virtually change the personality of an individual so that they conform to generally(or universally) accepted societal norms?" If that comes into question, I guess we could give the criminal the option of the death penalty of reeducation.
This idea reminds me of the drug controlled future from Equilibrium...but not quite. More like the hybridization of scientific futures of Gattaca and Equilibrium.