Death Penalty on hold

Sounds like a plan to me...

Similar to what I wanted to do with the mother who let her car roll into the river with her children locked inside the car years ago.
Put her in the car, let it roll in, when she dies, revive her and repeat for each child of hers she killed.

I am completely for the death penalty. I think they should give the criminal to the families of the victims first. Give them the option to kill or torture the criminal any way they need to to be able to come to terms with the grief he caused them. Should they pass on the chance the criminal should be executed in a similar manner to the pain he cause his victim(s) if he raped and drowned them then he should be raped and drowned etc. I think we go way to easy on criminals and that needs to change!!!!!

I think that something needs to change because the threat of the death penalty isn't a deterrent for criminals. But taking away the death penalty isn't the kind of change we need.

The change needed is to make prison a punishment, not a resort...

I'm a little surprised the Court is even considering the case.

I too have know victims of violent crime as well as three murderers, and I for the life of me could never decide to take anothers life on the other hand what else are we suppose to do with the likes of say Ted Bundy who kept escaping and killing again ? These people murder savagely and don't seem to care about the cruelity inposed on their victims. But I do not ever want to be in no way like them when it comes to this cruel behavior EVER !!! Fair trials and judgment of their peers and if need be a humane death

I think the guy the cut off that young ladies head should have his head cut off with a dull knife. If they murder someone they should die too. and not 10 to 20 years after they were in prison for awhile..

Great article Carol.

I can not understand how the death penalty - injection is cruel punishment, is it not cruel to kill innocent people?

Do the victims of those killers who are found guilty have any voice?

Why do the people who are given death penalty have more rights than victims?

what is wanted is to use just one quick poison and not the three that are being used now making the death quicker, also they want the prople injecting the leathal doses to be better trained

I agree that there are many crimes that life in prison doesn't even begin to be justice for. The legal injection is a very nice way to die, in my opinion.

I think that it's one of the nicest forms of execution possible.

That man throwing his kids off a bridge... that makes me sick.

I understand where you are coming from. I knew a bright bubbly 4 year old that was tortured til her tiny body finally gave out and she died. Who did this? her Mother and her mother's BF. Yes my first reaction was to take both of them by the head and torture them til they were barley breathing and then beat them to death. But that is irrational and handing the needle to the victims family is just that irrational. They couldn't act fairly. Not all people in jail are 100% percent guilty.
Until they make the judical system foolproof and can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt someone's guilt then the death penalty is not right.
also it was 4 children not 5, a 3 month old a 1 year old and a 2 year old and 3 year old (stepson)

Kind of senseless if it's cruel and unusual punishment. So what if they suffer a little considering the suffering they put their victim(s) through. Aren't they being killed after all? It won't hurt long!

I think the death penalty needs changed. 1 Appeal, and instead of injection they should be put to death in the same manner they did to get them there in the first place.

Great article and food for thought. One of my husband's best friends (my good friend, too) was murdered several years ago. He was the kindest, most generous, gentle soul God ever put on this earth. The police have never solved the murder - they think perhaps a gang initiation.

I know this man would adamantly say NO to having his killer executed.
I don't know any other victims or know of any killers. In discussions like this I have to wonder what I would do were the victim one of my children, my husband or someone else I love. I like to think I would not advocate the death penalty, but I guess one has to be in that situation before you really know.

As a Christian, I've been taught to forgive, but there really are some things so awful that I'm not sure forgiveness is possible. HMMMMMMM

When I was in college the reigning Miss South Carolina was being stalked by a man who was "in love" with her - he was prevented from getting to her but Larry Gene Bell would not be denied - he kidnapped and killed her little sister who was only 7 or 8 and he never denied the act. He was tried and put into prison to await his final disposition - in SC the system requires all (ALL) levels of possible courts have heard the case to make sure they do not execute an innocent man. But Bell was guilty - there was no possible scenario in which he did not come through as the perpetrator. However, he spent the next 9 years being dragged into court after court to have the thing replayed for every level of judge until he began to believe it made him special and he became a celebrity in his own mind. It is my feeling that if there is NO DOUBT of guilt, there be no delay of execution. If he is quaranteed a swift and proper trial, then why are we not given a swift and proper execution to remove the offender from the world?

I think the prisons are just too comfy. Let's go for Elizabethan punishments. They knew how to make it hurt. I'm really upset. I used to think I couldn't kill someone, so I was against the death penalty, but when you know someone it really turns around. The interesting thing is one of the girls grandmothers made friends with her killer. I think we should execute her next.

"I think that something needs to change because the threat of the death penalty isn't a deterrent for criminals. But taking away the death penalty isn't the kind of change we need."
juley g., Jan 9, 2008, 12:01pm EST

Actually, I believe they came out with a study last year claiming that the death penalty DOES deter violent crime. The study was done at Pepperdine University. It says that every inmate who is executed results in 74 fewer deaths the following year.

Of course opponents of the death penalty will deny that and try to tear the study apart.

I've never understood how putting someone in jail, feeding them, clothing them, providing healthcare, free TV, recreation/weight rooms is supposed to make someone 'rehabilitated' for their crime. I cannot understand why if someone is selected for the death penalty, that he/she is allowed to spend YEARS in jail before that penalty is administered. Yes, there should be time for repeals, there should be a set time for those. the only reason I would hate to see the penalty administered by the family is that killing the criminal makes you one...even if it is in the remotest sense. Of course I would - if it were me - and the crime was to my family, I would want that revenge, but I know it wouldn't bring the loved one back. Do I need to have their death in my mind and then feel regret for them? No way. But I want them punished.

Your examples, Carol, are part of the reason I have lost my faith. How can a loving God allow such cruelty? Some folks will answer "Choice." But children being victimized have no choice. I tend to believe that either God is not powerful enough to stop it or he doesn't want to stop it. If he's not powerful enough to stop it, then obviously all we have heard about him being all-powerful is a lie. If he doesn't want to stop it, then how can I consider him a loving God? Sorry to drift off here.....

I never had a real OPINION on the death penalty. I am strong enough to admit that if I don't know alot about a subject and the answer isn't obvious I should admit that I don't know enough. I had always kindof said "It can't be too bad, its the best option we have" Then I went to see a documentury on the death penalty at school and it was one of the first times I have EVER honestly changed sides with out question. I totally agree that there is no punishment that is "cruel" or "unfair" to someone who has killed a child, raped a child, killed family members and so on. Sadam being hung was like a birthday party compared to the things he did to other people.

The problem I have is the amount of people who have been put to death who were innocent. I am saying this from memory so please don't be picky on details its the general idea I am looking at. But there is a actual class at one college where they take someone who is on death row and they go back over the facts and they really really focus on this case more so than the orignal lawyers do, to see if they come to the same conclusion. And on more than one occasion (I believe it was something like 12) they have been able to prove that the person was innocent of the crime and get them taken off death row.
Most of the people that are on death row are black males and many are not able to read or write, have no money and are presumed guilty by everyone more so because of their lifestyle and inability to defend themselves correctly.

My personal opinion is that until we can figure out a better way to determine if these people are guilty or not, that only the ones who admit themselves to have done the crime or those who have such a tight solid case against them that it is impossible they did not commit the crime be put to death.

I have such a hard time with the idea that we are taking away peoples lives not because they commited a crime but because they fit the description.

It is a sad situation either way Carol....but the justice system is imperfect....there are truly guilty, falsely accused, and downright innocent on every level. Such gray areas are hard to traverse....but I was relieved when Bundy was killed and I even remember turning off all electric here in Florida so there would be plenty of juice for "Sparky"

I am not for the death penalty

I do not think we should put murders in a prison for life. They need to be put down. Why should their victims shelter them and take care of their needs for the rest of their lives. The dealth penalty should be there,another thing rapest get a few months in jail and let out.These people should not be allowed to keep destroying peoples lives either.However rape does not seem to be a crime anymore they blame the victim and let the animals go.
There is something really wrong with this society.

The UN recently decided that all nations should abolish the death penality. I published an article on that. Given that fact does anyone now wonder why the Supreme Court is looking at it?

Is this nation run by us or the UN?

You are all so out of it. If someone murdered my loved one I would plead with the court to parole that person into my custody. I could guarantee that the person would never again present a problem.

Have I ever told you that there are a lot of old mine shafts in this part of the country?

I completely agree!

The Supreme Court is not arguing about the death penalty but rather how it is administered (the drugs). Most states stopped executing prisoners once the Supreme Court took up this case. The Supreme Court asked the states (the ones who had not halted their executions) so that they could make a decision about the case without anyone else being put to death.
The Constitution clearly forbids cruel and unusual punishment. So the Supreme Court is trying to decide whether if a prisoner can feel physical pain (during the execution) and are aware of their surroundings, if that constitutes a violation of the Constitution. The drugs are supposed to make the prisoner not feel any pain and they should be asleep but that does not always happen.
So do not get mad at the Supreme Court.

Excellent point Colonel. Why elect a president? Let's just give up America and hand it over to the UN. Better idea! Let's send our murderers over to the UN.
Angry in the good old USA.

While I agree that lethal injection should be determined whether or not it's "cruel and unusual punishment", I'm surprised that there is a moratorium on the death penalty all together. Is lethal injection the ONLY method used for the death penalty these days?

Let's just go back to the firing squad. It is quick, cheap and darn it, some people really deserve it!

Thou shalt not kill. Two abominations do not make one commandment, or even part of one. God has given us his law, and you would take his authority upon yourself. No revenge is worth a berth in hell, probably next to the killers that you hate. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth is NOT a commandment, now is it? The sheer volume of murder convictions that have been overturned since the advent of DNA testing is ample evidence that many innocent people have been executed based on racism and frame ups. This is not God's plan. This is not justice. It is revenge, and often directed in the wrong direction.