Death Penalty Question

[Amerpie]

Can someone tell me if the Democratic Party platform takes a position on the death penalty? I know that Clinton's position on this was terrible.

I'm a former prison guard in NC and I've been to death row several times. I became an activist because of the group People of Faith Against the Death Penalty

Iraq, Syria, Iran and China all have something in common with the United States... something Great Britain, France, Canada, and most other Western states do not. We kill our criminals. State sanctioned homicide is popular (nearly 80% of Americans support capital punishment). We execute retarded criminals...and insane ones ...and minors. While some states still rely on the noose and the firing squad most use lethal injection, a form of execution akin to having a mad dog "put to sleep."

I look at Christians and I can not understand why anyone who also considers himself to be a follower of Christ can support capital punishment. Jesus himself was executed by a legal tribunal under the applicable laws of the day. When Christ saw a crowd about to execute a woman he commanded the would be executioners to select one from their numbers who was without sin to cast the first stone. In the sermon on the mount Jesus instructs us to turn the other cheek and to love our neighbor as ourself. The outstanding feature of Christianity is forgiveness. Those right wing zealots who wrap a bible around their narrow political agendas can quote the old testament all they want. They worship a different God than I do.

The death penalty does not lower the crime rate. If it did Texas would be the safest place to live in the US. Capital punishment is not cheaper than life imprisonment, it's more expensive. You can let an innocent man out of prison. You can't resurrect him if you've killed him.

In every argument about the death penalty that I've gotten into someone inevitably asks, "Well what if someone killed your daughter..or wife...or son?" That's not the way we should make laws in this country. We need to shed the portion of our heritage that causes our infatuation with guns, violence and death. We can leave that to Iran, Iraq, Syria, and China.

[immoderate]

1. I agree. I have a totally secular viewpoint.

I think it's wrong to kill. Our government should represent our highest ideals. Therefore killing by the government represents a contradiction. It plays into the hands of those that would rationalize the "justice" of their actions.

I'll grant that there are some who deserve to be killed. But there is no entity with the right to execute.

Some other (though not critical for me) arguments:

Government is too imperfect to be given this absolute power.
It is not a deterrent, rather it justifies a false sense of righteousness.
Not reversible.

Democrats have no consistent platform on this that I know of.

--IMM

[napsi]

3. I agree

that a govt has no right to execute it's own citizens and I am therefore against the death penalty. However, if you molest, murder rape anyone I care about (ie: wife, son daughter), I will do my damn best to kill you myself and suffer the consequences of my actions.

[SheilaT]

2. When the subject of the death penalty comes up,

I often ask those who thing it's a Good Thing, how is nearly every other industrialized nation manages without it? Often they are totally astonished to learn that other countries don't execute citizens.

[TexasMexican]

4. I disagree.

"In every argument about the death penalty that I've gotten into someone inevitably asks, "Well what if someone killed your daughter..or wife...or son?" That's not the way we should make laws in this country."

I disagree. That maybe your opinion, but its my opinion that something like that should be a factor in making our laws. We arent emotionless robots, we shouldnt try to make our laws fitting to them. We are human beings with emotions and feelings, and yes wanting revenge if you are wronged is one them. Our laws should reflect that.

If the death penalty were ever banned in the US I feel that more people would be willing to take the law into thier own hands. If the legal system isnt going to help you, you might aswell help yourself.

[Van Helsing]

7. I agree with you completely.

If anyone in my family got murdered, I'd love to see justice served.

[jonnyblitz]

5. I completely agree

The death penalty is pretty freakin neanderthal and if you look at the only other countries who have the death penalty besides us...that will tell you something too.we are NOT in good company. the death penalty, to me, is as fucking absurd as thinking Truman was right in dropping (not one but TWO) nukes on civilians in Japan...

[DrWeird]

6. I agree.

Jesus was against the death penalty. That's one of the most lucid points of his teachings.

Of course, according to some DU "christians", Christ's teachings weren't as important as how he died.

[struggle4progress]

8. Not to my knowledge ...

A cardinal political rule seems to be: "Don't take positions when there's no benefit."

DP is politically hot: advocates feel strongly. That said, I remember historical polling results have been complicated: often Americans would actually prefer life imprisonment without chance of parole.

If you follow press on the subject, you'll regularly find stories where fathers/mothers/husbands/wives/sons/daughters of the murder victim argue "my daughter/son/wife/husband/mother/father would have opposed DP for her/his killer."

Glad to have a former guard on the side of love and wisdom!

<edit: spelling>

[Ysabel]

9. this seems to me like a good time...

(er - maybe not - but here goes anyway)...

to ask - whether anyone might like to discuss the idea of starting:

?...the humanist party...?

:D

[yorgatron]

10. i'm against the death penalty EXCEPT

in the case of treason.