Comments on: Death Penalty Deters Murders, Studies Say

Hotly Debated Academic Analyses Claim Up To 18 Lives Saved Per Execution

[sigotratando]

Not all penalties are equal for a reason, & execution seems more of a %u201Ccapital punishment%u201D than boarding for life people who have killed. That you have killed, whether mindlessly or with calculation, shows that you have acted upon a capability to end a human life.

The same DNA test that is now revealing wrong convictions can be used to prevent the same.

Another objection is that it somehow does not %u201Crespect%u201D human life. How does one show respect for life ... by single-mindedly saying everyone must live at all costs (literally); that we must preserve a human life for life%u2019s sake? How easy is that.

There%u2019s the argument that says we are not God to decide who is worthy of life. At the same time, we mindlessly destroy life in our ecosystem in the pursuit of our own satisfaction & growth of economy, making godlike decisions concerning the health & wellbeing of the planet, and we cannot set standards for living for ourselves?

Still another argument that execution is simply barbaric/uncivilized. It%u2019s more civilized or evolved to cage people up for life in a remarkably hostile environment.

Deterrent, to me, is not a issue because it seems that most other laws are not held to the same standard. A punishment is an established penalty that we try to mete out in measure to the offense.

[sigotratando]

Not all penalties are equal for a reason, & execution seems more of a %u201Ccapital punishment%u201D than boarding for life people who have killed. That you have killed, whether mindlessly or with calculation, shows that you have acted upon a capability to end a human life.

The same DNA test that is now revealing wrong convictions can be used to prevent the same.

Another objection is that it somehow does not %u201Crespect%u201D human life. How does one show respect for life ... by single-mindedly saying everyone must live at all costs (literally); that we must preserve a human life for life%u2019s sake? How easy is that.

There%u2019s the argument that says we are not God to decide who is worthy of life. At the same time, we mindlessly destroy life in our ecosystem in the pursuit of our own satisfaction & growth of economy, making godlike decisions concerning the health & wellbeing of the planet, and we cannot set standards for living for ourselves?

Still another argument that execution is simply barbaric/uncivilized. It%u2019s more civilized or evolved to cage people up for life in a remarkably hostile environment.

Deterrent, to me, is not a issue because it seems that most other laws are not held to the same standard. A punishment is an established penalty that we try to mete out in measure to the offense.

[berniepeders]

A lot of people, myself included, feel that if someone commits a crime atrocious enough to warrant the death penalty, and killing them will make us feel better, do it. Hey, I'm not thinking about the consequences either, but doesn't it cost a lot of our tax dollsrs to keep the dregs of society locked up year after year?

[theusa1st]

The real issue is does the death penalty offer more general deterrence than alternatives such as life in prison w/o parole? The volume of research on this question suggests that there is no difference. Given the problems associated with executions, no wonder public confidence is slipping.
Posted by boiseriver at 09:50 AM : Jun 11, 2007

The convicted should get one appeal. The expense of all the appeals now is in the multi-millions of dollars. The cost of life without parole is multi-million dollars. Therefore execute within one year of sentence and then spend the money saved now spent on convicted criminals and spend it on the deserving where it will do some good.
Murderers and child rapists get no sympathy from me...get rid of them all. Less victims means less problems in the future.

[BlueInWI]

Yep. And forced sterilization deters sudden infant death syndrome. Doesn't make it right. The few murders that are prevented by the death penalty does not justify the fact that society itself is committing murder - and has in the process murdered innocent people in some instances.

Vengeance and hate tends to spread and is a characteristic that has led to the fall of many advanced civilizations (e.g. preemptive war in Iraq isn't having a great affect right now).

[antoniof123]

Capitol punishment many try to argue that it is about justice. Well, look at our justice system when business has more rights then people. No capitol punishment is about vengence pure and simple so if you can accept that then you should not have any problem with it.

[lawandorder7]

Thsi is so far off the board it should not even be on this site as news. The death penalty DOES NOT deters REPEAT DOES NOT deter violent crimes. If it did why do we have so much of it. Look what has happen in just the last year. This is sick, as news it is real sick. One more time, The death penalty DOES NOT deter, REPEAT DOES NOT deter violent crimes.

[barbaraf4]

The death penalty deters REPEAT violent crimes.

[boiseriver]

The study referenced in this article addressed the wrong question and appears to be seriously flawed. There may be some general deterrent effect from executions. The real issue is does the death penalty offer more general deterrence than alternatives such as life in prison w/o parole? The volume of research on this question suggests that there is no difference. Given the problems associated with executions, no wonder public confidence is slipping.

[gunownerdan]

It is best for everyone when dangerous criminals are stopped by those they intend to victimize. Self defense is the most basic of human rights and criminals prefer unarmed victims.

a-human-right.com

packing.org

[kpokey]

What the death penalty does do is show the people in a society that murder is an acceptable way to get back at people. It shows that the government will murder someone to get back at a crime that person committed. That cheapens life in a society and makes it more likely that people will kill to get back at people.

[granolaboy1]

I was in a fistfight in my twenties, some guy cold cocked me over a traffic incident. A martial arts enthusiast, I was able to recover from the initial blow, which broke my nose, and overpower my attacker. When he was down, every fiber in my being wanted to finish him. He's probably alive today because San Quintin's gas chamber flashed through my mind, and I simply walked away.

[zootallures2]

Just add THC to the water supply and all foods.

[kpokey]

This is so stupid. If it would have detered crime all these years, the US would have one of the lowest murder rates in the industrialized world. Instead, we have the death penalty, other industrialized countries don't, but we have one of the highest murder rates. Those facts speak for themselves.

And look at states that have it versus states that don't. The murder rate in Texas (has the death penalty) is high vs. the murder rate in North Dakota (doesn't have the death penalty) is almost non-existant. It doesn't look like it's detering any murder.

[oxmyx-2009]

Then the death penalty does not deter behavior- it prevents continuing lethal behavior. That's the continuing debate.

[slim1h2o]

Anybody so angry with someone, or impassioned enough, that they want to kill, well punishment be damned, they will act on those passions.

And regret it later. Usually.

[andor3]

Just because two things happen at the same time doesn't mean one caused the other. In one of my early courses, the prof pointed out in England at one time the stork population was correlated with the birth rate.

These "scientists" would probably conclude not only that storks brought babies, but feeding storks a pound more bread would result in an increase of 1.25 babies per fortnight.

It's just too hard to sort out what causes what in something so complex, with so many delays and feedback loops, and where you can't set up a controlled experiment. And assigning specific numbers is really weird science--at least the story shoudl include the margin for error in the conclusions.

[oigen]

Some 80 % of murders are crimes of passion. You know, where someone hauls off and kills his or her spouse without thinking of consequences. Temporary insanity is what it's called I think. The other 20% or so of murders are cold blooded where the perpetrator is either totally insane, suicidal or could care less of any consequences. Ergo, capitol punishment is hardly a deterrent in most cases.

[cvbarnard]

Obviously these researchers never sat in a room and had a discussion with someone facing a capital murder charge (or subsequently convicted of that charge and facing the death penalty). I have. Time and again, each one said they weren't thinking of consequences when they took the actions leading to the crime. In general, violent crime is characterized by lack of impulse control not rational thinking. Those who do plan their crimes do not plan on getting caught. So, how is the death penalty a deterrent?

[funkiwiteboy]

My guess is the death penalty will deter just about anything attached to it. And when applied to the judicial hiarchy for say, messing up lives just to prove their point, a lot more useless "***" would stop...
DUH?!?!