US Ranks Fifth in Executions in World
LONDON (April 15) – China executed more people than any other country in the world last year by putting at least 470 people to death, but the number of executions in the country actually fell by more than half compared to the year before, Amnesty International said. Read Full Story by Kelvin Chan, AP.
The Beef ….
The first thing that came to mind when seeing this article was that the Pro Life activists would be dismayed that we’re not more concerned about the abortion rate. But I’ll leave that thought behind for now, and focus on the snuffed out lives for those that most likely deserved it. I say most likely, because there is always a percentage that were wrongly convicted. And others that are probably more deserving of the death penalty, escape on a technicality. And there lies my dilemma, my beef is not so much whether the death penalty is proper justice, but whether we’re getting it right, and whether its even possible to get it right. Like everything else that involves human judgment, we have a fairly high tendency to screw it up. Even worse when these decisions are being made under the powerful influences of politics, special interest groups, corruption, etc. I don’t envy those that are involved in this process, its a part of humanity, or inhumanity that you wish you could just sweep under the rug. But one liberating thought is that the in United States, unlike the other countries in the top 5, we’re not affraid to bring it into the light.
Thanks for the read .. Stevo.
The Beefs ... 
THE FACT OUR COUNTRY IS ON ANY LIST WITH CHINA, IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA, AND PAKISTAN, SHOWS JUST HOW BARBARIC CAPITAL PUNISHMENT REALLY IS. IT DOESN’T DETER CRIMINALS FROM COMMITING HEINOUS CRIMES, BUT IN REALITY CREATES A CULTURE OF A CONTINUOUS VIOLENT SOCIETY. “AN EYE FOR AN EYE” DETERENT MANIFESTS ACCEPTING CAPITAL CRIMES AS ABERANT BEHAVIOR INSTEAD OF WHAT IT REALLY IS…A SIGN OF JUST HOW TRULY SICK OUR SOCIETY HAS BECOME. WE ALMOST ACCEPT MURDER AND **** AS A PART OF OUR DAILY LIVES, AND BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF WHEN SOMEONE IS GIVEN THE DEATH PENALTY AS ADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE ACT. THE TRUTH IS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS…THE DEATH ROWS OF OUR PENAL SYSTEM ARE SO OVER-CROWDED THAT IT BOGGLES THE MIND. FOR EVERY PERSON PUT TO DEATH IN OUR COUNTRY, THOUSANDS REPLACE THAT PERSON AND WAIT IN LINE FOR A DAY THAT MAY NEVER COME. IT JUST DOESN’T WORK, AND IT’S TIME TO ACCEPT THAT FACT.
Out of all the countries that still use execution as the ultimate punishment, we are BY FAR the kindest, gentlest, most patient of them all. Matter of fact, none of the other countries who still use execution provide anywhere NEAR the appeals process that WE do. Some, if not all of you liberal dittoheads out there might also consider the fact that an EXTRAORDINARY effort is being made to research DNA evidence before the sentence has been carried out these days.
For you bleeding hearts out there who believe a substantial portion of not only yours, by my hard-earned taxpayer dollars should be spent providing lifelong housing, medical care and psychological counseling to a dirtbag who raped and murdered one of your children? KMA!
Here in Montana the HIGH court, and I put HIGH because I would like to know what they were on, recently said a convicted killer deserved re-sentencing because the first sentence was not proper. He did not deserve such a harsh sentence because he did not force the women to go with him out to party in the country. He also did not deserve such a harsh sentence because the evidence he was destroying and the witness he threatened with a knife was done before the police started to investigate the crime, all that was done before the bodies were discovered. All he did was beat to death two women because he thought one might be a drug informer. Why are we keeping him alive? Maybe we can ship this one to one of you “No death penalty” people to look after.
As a retired corrections officer and former police officer, the death penalty is an issue that I’ve wrestled with for many years. On the one hand, it is a fact that it costs more to execute an individual than it does to house them for life. Maybe the answer is to reform the appeals process. On the other hand, I’ve personally met two individuals in my career who were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison and were later found to be innocent. One was a former police officer who was convicted of killing his girlfriend. He recieved a life sentence and served over 7 years before the real murderer was caught. If the state that I live in did perform executions and the appeals process had been reformed then this man would be dead.
employat
We do accept murder as an everyday occurrence and do nothing other than warehouse those that do it. The death penalty does not create violence but does stop it one at a time. I believe it was Gov. Sue Richardson who said one time when asked if the Texas death sentence on a murderer there would help stem future crime. “No. But, by God, that son of a bitch won’t do that again.” I guess employat feels if you murder someone, violently taking the life of another, you should feel there is no reason you should receive the same fate in return. By the way employat, are you pro-life or pro-abortion?
The Beef ….
The first thing that came to mind when seeing this article was that the Pro Life activists would be dismayed that we’re not more concerned about the abortion rate. But I’ll leave that thought behind for now, and focus on the snuffed out lives for those that most likely deserved it. I say most likely, because there is always a percentage that were wrongly convicted. And others that are probably more deserving of the death penalty, escape on a technicality. And there lies my dilemma, my beef is not so much whether the death penalty is proper justice, but whether we’re getting it right, and whether its even possible to get it right.
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We never leave a thought behind after we’ve hit the send key, Steve. Nope, not even the first thought that pops into our minds. Is it the ultimate travesty of justice when an innocent person is put to death? Absolutely it is.
Are there extremist factions from all walks of life in our society? Most assuredly there are, and I’d be the first to admit there are certain topics in our all too short lives I’m willing to take extreme measures either for or against, just as you would.
I don’t involve myself in the abortion debate for what I consider very sound reasons. One….I’m male, and would never intrude on the choices a woman makes where her body and future are concerned. Two….. abortion and execution for crimes committed against humanity are in essence, comparing apples and oranges.
As I’ve stated before, I believe we have the right to exact the most extreme justice against those who willingly, violently and quite maliciously take the life of another human being. These days, it’s no longer a guessing game. Every effort is made to assure the evidence is in line with the accusation and the final conviction.
Have mistakes been made in the past where justice in this country is concerned? Unfortunately and quite obviously, the answer is yes. Will mistakes be made tomorrow, or even twenty years from now? As you so eloquently stated, we’re merely human beings, which no doubt leaves a window of opportunity for mistakes to be made WIDE open. Personally, I believe every effort HUMANLY possible is being made to minimize if not completely eradicate those mistakes.
Just my thoughts on topic….
Neal
5th? See that is the problem, if you kill off these murderers, and rapists. Then you are makeing a clear statement about punishment. If the cost of crime is giving up your life, then crime will drop dramatically. But in order to make it work, you kill the killers, in the same manner they killed their victims. Yeah yeah, dont give the buffalo poop, about your studies and polls. They dont mean crap. If you kill or rape you die. Simple and cost effective. I dont have to spend my money on taxes to house and support these bastards at the California Holiday Inns, called prisons.