Capital Punishment... good? Bad? Do we need it in Canada?

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I don't agree with Capital Punishment. Yes, it's the state's job to protect it's citizens but that can easily be done by locking up people. There is no need to kill anyone. What gives us the right to execute other people? We just end up being as bad as them.

Sadly the reason why some countries have capital punishment (in my opinion) is because it costs A LOT to keep these people alive: Space/shelter, food, hygiene, guards, etc...

Bad. No we don't need it here.

I saw this cartoon once that sums up my feelings on it. There was this little girl asking her mom "Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?"

PS good thread!

Originally Posted by jhan523

I don't agree with Capital Punishment. Yes, it's the state's job to protect it's citizens but that can easily be done by locking up people. There is no need to kill anyone. What gives us the right to execute other people? We just end up being as bad as them.

Sadly the reason why some countries have capital punishment (in my opinion) is because it costs A LOT to keep these people alive: Space/shelter, food, hygiene, guards, etc...

Yeah... I think the only "good" perceivable benefit to capital punishment is as a deterrant, but as evidenced by the USA, it doesn't work that way. I personally feel that capital punishment is immoral. What should happen however, is that people who commit serious crimes should be given actual life sentences... none of this 25 years BS.

Originally Posted by Taunton

What should happen however, is that people who commit serious crimes should be given actual life sentences... none of this 25 years BS.

I totally agree, I think that prison sentences here in Canada are not harsh enough at all.

Originally Posted by Taunton

Capital Punishment... good? Bad? Do we need it in Canada?

GO!

Wow Bennyboy, that's quite the opening to a debate. XD

Yes, capital punishment. Absolutely. People won't do half the shit they do if they knew there'd be serious repercussions.

The best way to get people to do something you say is to instill fear in them. "You kill this man, and we'll kill you." I'm 95% sure that people would think about what they're doing.

We can argue till we turn blue that "who are we to decide who gets to die" and I'll agree with you. But obviously what we're doing now isn't really working to prevent future murders. There's too much emphasis on rehabilitation (think karla homolka).

Give someone a reason NOT to kill someone such as capital punishment, and I think they would be a lot more deterred than they are now.

Originally Posted by Taunton

Yeah... I think the only "good" perceivable benefit to capital punishment is as a deterrant, but as evidenced by the USA, it doesn't work that way. I personally feel that capital punishment is immoral. What should happen however, is that people who commit serious crimes should be given actual life sentences... none of this 25 years BS.

I agree, the 25 rule is ridiculous, but can't the judge give multiple live sentences?

I agree with the deterrent part, I don't think most people plan out their crimes too much. Not with a clear mind anyways.

Originally Posted by katie_batt

I saw this cartoon once that sums up my feelings on it. There was this little girl asking her mom "Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?"

Because authority hopes that the individual's fear of death is enough incentive to prevent them from killing.

I mean the alternative is, if you really want to kill someone, you just need to deal with a less comfortable environment for the rest of your life (or 25 years, depends).



That said. For me I think rehabilitation should come first.

Originally Posted by jhan523

I agree, the 25 rule is ridiculous, but can't the judge give multiple live sentences?

Not in Canada... that's an American thing. In Canada, it's one sentence per charge.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Wow Bennyboy, that's quite the opening to a debate. XD

Yes, capital punishment. Absolutely. People won't do half the shit they do if they knew there'd be serious repercussions.

The US has had capital punishment for hundreds of years, and their crime rate is heads and tails above ours... Capital punishment has been proven to not work as an effective deterrant.

I think it is a very difficult issue to sit firmly on one side of the fence for.

On the one hand I think that capital punishment is wrong and the little girl mentioned above makes a good point. Two wrongs don't make a right. Killing a murderer doesn't bring back the person that was murdered.

That said the justice system is pretty messed up and some of the worst criminals would be better off dead than allowed back out into society b/c they have allegedly paid their dues.

I don't believe that rehabilitation can be achieved for the most heinous crimes like murder, torture, rape, child molestation etc. I feel nothing but disgust and hatred for the people who commit these types of crimes. This might be harsh and over the top but personally I'd like to these kinds of people myself. That said there's a very fine line. Where do you draw the line for which crimes get death sentences? What about wrongful convictions? There's too many questions like that surrounding the death penalty that it makes it difficult to agree with. As much as I'd like to have pedophiles off the street and dead, I'd hate to think of someone wrongfully convicted and dead b/c of it.

It's just all very hard to form a solid opinion on. As much as I'd like an eye for an eye to apply in many cases of heinous crimes, its just not realistic, and in the end it doesn't solve much. You'll never be rid of every pedophile or rapist, ever. There will unfortunately always be another one born or created, whichever the case.

Originally Posted by Taunton

Not in Canada... that's an American thing. In Canada, it's one sentence per charge.

Oh I see, Canada should get on that then...

Originally Posted by Taunton

The US has had capital punishment for hundreds of years, and their crime rate is heads and tails above ours... Capital punishment has been proven to not work as an effective deterrant.

Like I said, I think most people that commit these crimes aren't thinking properly due to their emotions.

Originally Posted by JEFF_CHAN

Because authority hopes that the individual's fear of death is enough incentive to prevent them from killing.

I mean the alternative is, if you really want to kill someone, you just need to deal with a less comfortable environment for the rest of your life (or 25 years, depends).



That said. For me I think rehabilitation should come first.

Honestly, I think that if I were faced with having to live my whole life in a jail cell with no rights, I would RATHER die. It'd be the easy way out. Think about it, imagine knowing that you were going to spend the next 60-70 years in a little gray box, doing only what you were told. I'd rather just die.

Another thing to consider is that often times the people who commit these heinous crimes are sociopaths. They have an urge to kill. I am not AT ALL defending them, but my point is that I dont think that the fear of capital punishment deters them. They do what they do because they want to, and I think the best thing is to lock them up for life.

Originally Posted by Taunton

The US has had capital punishment for hundreds of years, and their crime rate is heads and tails above ours... Capital punishment has been proven to not work as an effective deterrant.

The question is whether or not it should be instilled in Canada. As long as there is no evidence to prove or disprove me (not that I've done the research - feel free to educate me! ), I will continue to believe that capital punishment would act as a humongous deterrant in Canada.

The US is a lost cause - all they know is violence and fear. They're accustomed to it.

As opposed to Canada, for the next 300 years... I think it'd work pretty well. xD

Originally Posted by katie_batt

Honestly, I think that if I were faced with having to live my whole life in a jail cell with no rights, I would RATHER die. It'd be the easy way out. Think about it, imagine knowing that you were going to spend the next 60-70 years in a little gray box, doing only what you were told. I'd rather just die.

The only problem there is that our justice system is screwed up. You can get out of jail if you survive your 25 year sentence. I'm sorry, but a murderer should never be allowed back into society.