Some 50 years ago the USA did join the other advanced nations of the world, and

[Cal33]

the death penalty was abolished. After some 15 years the Republicans succeeded
in re-establishing the death penalty. I don't know of any other nation having
done so. We're probably the only one. I don't believe there was any significant
difference in the murder rate during those 15 years. Of course, 15 years isn't
a very long time to make a good judgment of the effectiveness of a change of
this nature. But we can use the statistics of other nations for this purpose.

Republicans evidently do believe that harsh punishment reduces crime. I
also think Republicans simply do treat their fellow humans more harshly in general.
It's in their nature to be more harsh, aggressive and repressive -- especially if it
also brings in more profit. Look at all the wars on little oil-rich countries
of late. A country like North Korea is safe from us, they have no worthwhile
natural resources to speak of.

[librechik]

1. A lot of things changed when the Republicans "took over,"

including our inability through democratic means to do anything about the takeover. In fact, a lot of people don't even know it happened.

Never saw such a quiet coup.

[Cal33]

3. God forbid that they should win in Nov. 2012! nt

[RC]

2. Republicans - The sociopathic party of death.

[Spider Jerusalem]

4. Er, no

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furman_v._Georgia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_v._Georgia

a de facto moratorium following the Supreme Court ruling in Furman, in 1972; then a lifting of said moratorium following the Gregg decision (in 1976).

Less than forty years ago and it only lasted for four years. And only two members of the court dissented from the opinion in Gregg that effectively reinstated the death penalty: Thurgood Marshall and William Brennan.

[Cal33]

5. You are correct. My mistake. Today states separately choose whether

to have capital punishment or not. As of Oct. 2009, 15 states and Wash. DC have
abolished capital punishment.

[applegrove]

6. It is the same with why Republicans like bullying. The death penalty makes for a public

who would dehumanize somebody...they then make up the GOP base.

[Cal33]

7. Yes, this also brings to mind school-kids who would gang up on a chosen

victim and make life miserable for him/her. Not so long ago a young
girl from Ireland had been hounded for months by some of her classmates,
and committed suicide because of it.

There is something very primitive and cruel about some of these Republicans.
It does seem that their growth in morals has been arrested at a young age,
and they have never reached adulthood moralitywise.

[applegrove]

8. Which is why they love Ayn Rand. They are adolescents.