Oh dear. I never know quite where I fall. Well, in *theory*, I could never truly justify taking someone's life away. Giving ourselves and our states or countries the power to decide whether or not someone gets to live makes me really uneasy. And I realize that's also exactly what killers do. They decide that someone else doesn't get to live anymore.
However...
This isn't theory. This is the real world. Don't some of us feel a little safer when a dangerous person will never have even a thread of a chance of walking the streets again? I'm afraid I do. It's easy to let emotions throw our decisions around. And yeah, throwing someone in prison for the rest of their lives would accomplish the same thing, but there's always a chance that they can appeal their way out on a technicality. Of oourse, there's always a chance we could execute an innocent person.
I just wish our justice system was better. Wishful thinking, eh? I wish there were better alternatives so we didn't have to sit around handing out death sentences whenever we sit it fit.
Is the death penalty ever really a deterrent? Obviously to the particular killer it is. My case studies from ethics last year tell me the death penalty is not the most effective tool for the rest of society. Obviously, everyone didn't wake up today and say, "Hey! I think I'll reform myself!"
So these are just a jumble of my thoughts on the death penalty. Ultimately, I don't think the death penalty is the best idea, but what are the alternatives? Do people learn anything from rotting around in jail for the rest of their lives? Do we learn anything by executing them?
I don't know.
Good discussion, everyone,
JD
