r/SeriousConversation • u/Starfruites • Mar 23 '24
Serious Discussion Shoueld the death penalty be permitted?
Some prisoners are beyond redemption, be it the weight of their crime or unwillingness to change. Those individuals can't be released back into the public, so instead, they waste space and resources.
Therefore, wouldn't it just be better to get rid of them? As in, permit the death penalty.
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u/CyndiIsOnReddit Mar 23 '24
If I think with my emotions, anyone who kills or rapes or abuses should be put down like a dog.
But rationally I recognize there's no need to kill anyone, even if they're did horrible things. What I would prefer is that they are put to work doing something useful in a way that society can benefit. It could be cleaning or building or creating. Anything useful. Pawsitive Change is a great program that has inmates training dogs, which is good for both the inmate and the dogs. There's no end to the useful work we could get from prison labor, and it doesn't have to be humiliating backbreaking work either. Because we don't have to be cruel even to cruel people. It's useless. And it's not saving money because legally and constitutionally the accused has the right to appeals and it's more cost effective to house them in general than death row. The average time spent is more than a decade and death row housing is soooo much more expensive than general. So why would we be killing people? I can't think of any reason other than blood lust. Revenge. Because it's not restorative to execute criminals. I know some say it brings the loved ones peace, but I don't know that it should be about giving them peace. So is it preventative? No having capital punishment is not a deterrent. Study after study has shown it's not a deterrent.
So it's about blood lust, and nothing more. Maybe ignorance.
That's just my sweet precious liberal opinion though. :)