Controversial Topic Discussion

The biggest problem I have with the death penalty isn't actually the whole cost or the 'is it morally right?' arguments. My biggest problem comes from the fact that even with lesser crimes it has been proved time and time again that police doen't always catch the right person or, in the case of organised crime, a patsy has been setup to take the fall.

Before an society can even consider using the death sentence, even as a form of deterrent, against perpetrators of more serious crimes a system has to be in place where it is possible to be 100% sure that the person that is going to die is the person who actually committed the crime, and currently that is outside of our current ability to do.

Reiterating what Kenneth said above about it being a delicate subject for those who have had loved ones murdered and feel they should have their eye-for-an-eye revenge, I cannot begin to imagine how strong the feelings are that drive someone after that kind of event - and I hope that I never experience it either - but I can understand that they want their revenge. It's natural, we're only human after all.

But would the death sentence do anything to avenge the death of those lost?
Would it in some way make the suffering easier?
No, nothing would be different.

I'm also not really sure that someone who is capable of murder, I'm talking about cold calculated pre-meditated murder not crime of passion murder, actually gives a damn about human rights - theirs or anyone else's, so I'm not sure what kind of deterrent it would be for other murderers it would be. Ok, they get locked up and aren't on the streets capable of killing anyone else but so far I don't see where the deterrent is. They get thrown in jail, three meals a day, roof over their head, all paid for by the tax-payer. Who is having the last laugh at who?

Also the desire for revenge is an dangerous, ever expanding, spiral. If the murderer gets killed, someone somewhere will undoubtedly believe he or she was wrongfully convicted by the system and will seek revenge on those responsible, and thanks to the media circus that would ensue from "the televised death of a murderer!!!" everyone involved, the victim's family, the police officers, the judge, the jury and the lawyers would all be known faces.

A little digging and someone would have all the information they needed to pay a little visit to those people once all the media hype has died down and get a little revenge of their own. So it goes back and forth.

Turned out longer than I'd expected and I drifted around about, but hopefully I made some sort of sense.