Comments | mozartfan1313: The Death Penalty

mozartfan1313

The Death Penalty

Sep 13, 2007 23:22

I'm taking a non-fiction literature course this year which will go towards my English degree and I'm already finding it fascinating. The first piece we had to read was Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, which I've read before. My professor led an incredible class discussion about the style in which Capote wrote and what his intentions may have been in ( Read more... )

richard hickcock, truman capote, school, death penalty, in cold blood, perry smith

Comments 18

themurcurytree September 14 2007, 06:20:53 UTC

the death penalty is one of those issues where I'm totally on the fence and like to see it from both sides. Killing people is wrong, period. I think sometimes I agree with the "eye for an eye" idea, but at the same time, is that letting those who caused such misery to others off easy; a fast and painless death by lethal injection? But there is the issue of prison overcrowding. Here in CA, we have more inmates on death row than in any other state. most of these people, I believe, will die in prison before they ever reach the needle because the system is so slow to execute, on top of the fact that DNA is starting to prove large amounts of errors where people are wrongfully convicted of crimes they didn't commit. The death penalty is a system that is full of errors. A lot of times I think the most hardened criminals like Charles Manson, and anyone who commits or conducts a heinous crime such as murder or mass murder should rot in their jail cell for the rest of their lives. "Tis a complicated issue

mozartfan1313 September 14 2007, 21:01:10 UTC

I've read from quite a few sources that lethal injection is not, in fact, painless. It just tends to paralyze the victim so they don't make much noise when they die. But supposedly the pain they feel amounts to what it would feel like to have your chest collapse.

You made another point I forgot to bring up. People like Charles Manson are still alive and will die in prison. However, people who have committed "lesser crimes" (I'm not saying they aren't as horrible, but you know what I mean) have been executed. What doesn't make any sense to me is how each American state seems to have completely different laws. So, a person who murders four could receive a life sentence while a person who kills one person in a bank holdup will be executed, depending on where they live. States should have similar laws/guidelines.

themurcurytree September 14 2007, 21:34:15 UTC

I believe manson was spared the death penalty because he was found insane. I'm not even sure what the rules are for that, but I'm pretty sure that's why he'll be just locked up for life. he comes up for parole every few years but they'll never give it to him. I think he's in san quentin, but he used to be in the vacaville prison. I would personally find it a more harsh punishment to die slowly in prison than to be executed. i mean look at dahmer, he was beated to death by a fellow inmate.

themurcurytree September 14 2007, 21:39:23 UTC

"beated?" errr, beaten. typos :(

Thread 8

snowfall36 September 14 2007, 17:53:05 UTC

I can go to either side when it comes to the death penalty. First off, I completely agree when you say that no one should play God not even the state. In fact, thats why most of these people are on Death Row, because they tried to "play God". And, as history has taught us, the whole eye for an eye thing doesn't really work. To what you said about calling it a midevil ritual brings up an interesting point. The death penalty, a medieval ritual meant for beggars and thieves, was originally meant to deter future criminals from commiting similar crimes. There were hopes that the thought of capture and death would scare people into being submissive and gentle. This is kind of ironic that we think like this (that people will become submissive and gentle because of the Death Penality) because, if anything else, it just creates more hositallity. Now, I can't be 100% on this since I don't live in a state that allows the death penalty, but I'm pretty sure that the people that escape from prison or try to aren't on death row, which I can only ( ... )

mozartfan1313 September 14 2007, 21:11:14 UTC

To me, the term "eye for an eye" is primitive. It only creates more hatred and violence because it seems to promote the continuance of crimes ( ... )

themurcurytree September 14 2007, 21:37:29 UTC

I think people on death row are held in maximum security prisons rather than normal prison, which would make it virtually impossible for them to escape, especially the really violent criminals who are probably on some kind of solitary program and watched 24/7.

scott perterson probably won't be executed, he'll just be on death row for life because he's here in CA and he's got a looong line to wait in lol

mozartfan1313 September 14 2007, 21:43:19 UTC

You;re right. It would be absolutly impossible for someone to break out of jail while on death row. They are watched around the clock and are only let out of their cells for one hour a day.

amelialourdes September 15 2007, 03:49:30 UTC

I think I'm completely torn on this issue. My 8th grade teacher was really against the penalty for the reason that there's no lesson learned by dying. They [the murderers] won't suffer when they are put to death. It's quick for them, mostly painless and pointless. They should live with their guilt and have their freedom taken away from them. On the other hand -- prisons here are grossly overcrowded. I'm not saying kill them all so there'll be more room but just solve the problem as to why there are so many people in prison, particularly minorities. This is of course the least of my country's problems right now.

mozartfan1313 September 15 2007, 17:38:18 UTC

See, I understand that prisons are overcrowded, especially in certain states, yet I don't think that justifies having the death penalty. I mean, if terminally ill patients living at a hospital were left to die because there wasn't enough room for them than a huge fuss would be kicked up over the inhumanity of it all. Yes, these people are cruel, unstable prisoners, but I don't believe you can say that one set of people deserve to live while others should die.

But, that being said, I do understand the overcrowding issue and it's effect on the prisons. This is only part of why the death penalty is such a huge issue.

amelialourdes September 16 2007, 02:35:28 UTC

Prisons are overcrowded and that totally isn't my justification for the death penalty. Ha, that would be such a cruel thing to say to kill them all to free up some room. The probably is definitely WHY people end up in prison particularly black and Hispanic people. It just shows how racism is still extremely prevalent in this country -- obviously ( ... )

mozartfan1313 September 16 2007, 04:16:52 UTC

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were using overcrowding as a justification for the death penalty. I just meant that, in general, that seems to be some people's reasoning behind it and it doesn't make sense to me.

I didn't realize that it was hard for you to be true to yourself where you live. Don't you live near San Francisco? I thought that was a fairly open-minded place to live, regarding race and homosexuality.

Thread 6