Trump and the death penalty

🤬 Trump is all, what people say.

No, I could not support the death penalty tho at times I have felt like it. It's not just the risks of mistakes, nor even whether its a deterrent.

Its being a society that is potentially - a government like Trump can come in and can change the laws bad enough already once we accept the principle: meeting violence back with violence, is it good for us all?

I had heard that the Federal Government was trying to go back to firing squads, gas chambers and electrocution as well.

Barbaric.

He can choose one of those when he is convicted and sentenced.

(Though I see the the Tech Billionaires (Theil IIRC) are starting to move to Argentina.)

FWIW, it cost more to put someone to death in this country than to keep them imprisoned for life. 2.5 x 5 times more, in the millions of dollars per person.

Think of all the people who have been wrongly imprisoned.
If the death penalty had been used, they would have had no recompense.
Think of some of the reasons why 'criminals' are executed in other countries.
Women, for adultery, men for homosexuality.
I don't agree with the death penalty.

You are correct, Macaydia. The USA incarcerates more of its' citizens pro rata, for longer, and with dismal recidivism results.
Perhaps they could learn from Norway?

I do not support the death penalty. For the most dreadful crimes such as the murder of children, round the clock solitary confinement would be fitting. I believe that the USA is the only civilised country in the world to have the death penalty.

It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that trump is now certifiable. He knows the midterms in November will go badly for the Republicans and he can’t have that.

Did anyone see the interview he gave yesterday which he walked out of? After being incredibly rude to the female interviewer.

It is going to take many years for the USA to recover from this dreadful man and his acolytes.

That appears to have been tbe first time a Reporter pushed back.
Maybe it could happen more often?

It isn’t just the people that have to do the execution that may be traumatised. What about the jury knowing that their decision will result in an execution. I think I read once that if there is a death penalty a jury is more likely to veer on the side of caution and give a not guilty verdict, even if the person on trial is probably guilty but there is a very slight element of doubt.

I found Hegseth speech at a Normandy last weekend, one of the most appalling speeches I have heard in a long while.

Basgetti

Bit behind on the news, read your thread title and immediately thought, to quote the marvellous Fred MCCauley, “what’s the mad b*****d” done now?”

Nothing that lunatic does surprises me any more. He must be making life very difficult for satirists. Nothing they can say will top him.

& if satirists try, he takes it personally & pulls every string he can see to get them cancelled.

Good, time we brought it back

At least one man on death row has been proved innocent Freed after 22 years.

At the time of the capital punishment debates in the UK, in 1961 Penguin published two books, "Hanged by the Neck", which put the moral case for abolition, and "Hanged in Error", which focussed on a number of cases where innocent people had been hanged. Together they were very convincing.

What 'good' does the death penalty do?
Compare our crime stats with the USA.
They have the death penalty.
Has it made any improvement?

mokryna

At least one man on death row has been proved innocent Freed after 22 years.

Yes, that's what bothers me. I flounder in my beliefs. If I see a particularly heinous crime. I hear myself saying they should get the death penalty. This does not make me any better than them though. Its a revenge thought.

I too am against the death penalty. Nobody should have the right to take another’s life regardless of circumstances.

However I think if convicted of murder you should die in prison , no cushy parole after a few years. Your victim didn’t get another chance

Macaydia

Why are the methods for a death penalty execution different than methods used for assisted suicide?

Probably because assisted suicides volunteer to die, and agree to do it themselves when provided with the means.

Unlike convicted criminals on death row.

I totally oppose the death penalty because, to me, it is the equivalent of murder! Too many times I have read that the convicted person has experienced a most dreadful death as the method chosen did not work effectively.
Also, people have died who were found innocent of the crime they were convicted of.
I wonder if the people chosen to effect these executions will volunteer or be chosen? Trump is getting beyond belief.

Yes, the chances of the accused being given an incorrect verdict of 'innocent' could increase if Jurors were faced with condemning someone to death by giving the verdict of 'guilty'.

MissAdventure

I support the death penalty.

All very well supporting the death penalty but what about the effect it has on those conducting the execution? Edward Heath ex PM was, as an Army officer, in charge of the execution by firing squad of a prisoner and it had a profound effect on him. He was totally opposed to the death penalty. Also what about errors?

Actually, Trump's least favourite critic, namely Pope Leo, has already made it abundantly clear that in his opinion no civilized state should still have or use the death penalty.

Sadly states that do still have it, see the matter differently.

Didn't they use to say to the execution squad, that one of the bullets was a blank, to make it easier for them to take part.

Do you think Fred and Rose West were found guilty in error, Plunger?

Sorry MissAdventure I don't really understand what point you are making by mentioning the Wests. They were a very clear cut case of guilty as charged for multiple murders.

I think the point Plunger was making is that if the death penalty is enforced there is a chance that innocent people are slaughtered for a murder they did not commit. It is well documented that this has happened in the past.

I am not only opposed to the death penalty I am also a pacifist.

I am totally against the death penalty, IMO it is not the way a civilised society should deal with it's worst criminals. However, a very good reason for not having a death penalty is the willingness of a jury to find someone guilty of murder. I would not be prepared to find someone guilty if I thought they would be executed and I doubt that I am the only one.

Of course, any case where there is the slightest doubt wouldn't incur the death penalty.