Why are you against the death penalty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it's meted out unfairly and disproportionately, depending on the state one lives in.

And the race one is.

[Anonymous]

The state shouldn't be killing people. That's what the bad guys do.

[Anonymous]

I'm for it!

I would like to see legitimate stats on the number of "innocents" that are put to death.

[Anonymous]

10:23 Even if none have been, the possibility exists that one would be. Of course some have been, especially before the rise of DNA analysis.

[Anonymous]

because humans are not vermin to be exterminated - to use your language

and:

1. Possibility of wrongful conviction. This will never be zero. Never, ever.
2. The state is committing an act it forbids. The inconsistency is colossal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:because humans are not vermin to be exterminated - to use your language

and:

1. Possibility of wrongful conviction. This will never be zero. Never, ever.
2. The state is committing an act it forbids. The inconsistency is colossal.

This is my reason for being against the death penalty as well.

[Anonymous]

I'm for it!

I would like to see legitimate stats on the number of "innocents" that are put to death.

So what constitutes an acceptable error rate with regards to wrongful executions? 1%, 5%, 20%?

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executed-possibly-innocent
http://www.innocenceproject.org/know/

[Anonymous]

There are death row cases overturned every year because DNA testing exonerates the inmate. Imagine how many innocent prisoners have been executed before the reliable use of DNA testing. How many innocent people being executed is acceptable?

[Anonymous]

Death Row exoneration stats, a little dated, but imagine the numbers are even higher now. Maybe those of you so eager to put a man to death should move to Texas.

http://www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/dna-testing-and-death-penalty
http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/351.php

[Anonymous]

Because it is implemented unfairly-one person gets it for a crime in one state that seems miniscule compared to the crimes of others that seem to have done worse. It is implemented unfairly in terms of more southern black men being executed over any other population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm for it!

I would like to see legitimate stats on the number of "innocents" that are put to death.

Wouldn't we all. What you can see is old rape convictions overturned. The reason that they get freed is because dna evidence is so common in rapes. Unfortunately in homicides, it is not. But if eyewitness testimony is subject to the same rate of error as in rape cases, you can be sure a lot of innocent people are in prison for murder, and some of those will be on death row. The current number is around 200 for old convictions overturned due to DNA evidence. I will try to find the source later today, but an earlier poster showed the stat from 2002.

You can also see the number freed while on death row. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-list-those-freed-death-row I'm sure that some of the 2 and 3 yr overturns are normal appeals. But some of these guys are freed after fifteen or twenty years on death row. You can be sure that those cases are ones where extraordinary, late evidence (recanted testimony, a confession by someone else, DNA, etc) freed them.

Unfortunately, not many lawyers are spending hours proving the innocence of those already put to death. But given the stats above, it is very reasonable to assume that a number of executed individuals are innocent. But occasionally you get reporters looking into things. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executed-possibly-innocent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Death Row exoneration stats, a little dated, but imagine the numbers are even higher now. Maybe those of you so eager to put a man to death should move to Texas.

http://www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/dna-testing-and-death-penalty
http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/351.php

No thanks, I'll stick to Virginia where is it is the second only to Texas. Furthermore if you consider it on a per-capita basis, we are in line with TX execution rate. Virginia's murder rate per capita vs. other states is below the national average.

For Murders, MD ranks third in the country among states, Virginia 27.

For firearm related murder MD ranked double the national average, Virginia 47% below.

MD has stricter gun laws and a moratorium on the death penalty. Maryland has criminal friendly laws and the stats to back it up.

[Anonymous]

That's because Richmond is not baltimore, not because a bunch of potential killers are afraid of the death penalty or because Ellie Mae Clampett runs them off with a shotgun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's because Richmond is not baltimore, not because a bunch of potential killers are afraid of the death penalty or because Ellie Mae Clampett runs them off with a shotgun.

And Richmond used to be the murder capital of the US. Back when its gun laws were even looser than they used to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's because Richmond is not baltimore, not because a bunch of potential killers are afraid of the death penalty or because Ellie Mae Clampett runs them off with a shotgun.

And Richmond used to be the murder capital of the US. Back when its gun laws were even looser than they used to be.

Depends upon what kind of firearm you're talking about. It's a well-kept secret (except among Economists who study human behavior and motivating factors) that easing gun restrictions lowers violent crime. Criminals will always be able to get guns, but when they have to confront armed citizens? You have less violent crime. It turns out that even gun-wielding criminals don't want to confront someone else with a gun.