"If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call."
John McAdams—Marquette University In 1985, 13 year old Karen Patterson was shot to death in her bed in Charleston. Her killer was her neighbor who had already served 10 years for a previous murder case where he killed his half-brother in 1970. Her killer cut the phone lines and entered with an arsenal of different weapons, and chased the parents out of there home to the murderer’s father’s house. Later he killed his own father who persuaded the police to release his son from a life sentencing. This story is completely barbaric and ironic in the fact that the murderers own father was the one who helped release him from prison on the basis that he thought his son had changed his way. If the death penalty would have been instilled then this little girl would still have her life and have a future. Because the government is completely flawed these types of situations happen all the time. Thanks a lot congress, thankfully the family got a sympathy letter. There is no excuse for this type of action that an individual makes. These types of people should not be given another chance, because the victims aren’t lucky enough to receive one.
"If we design a legal system that will be so generous to the suspect that there is absolutely no possibility of unjustly convicting that one out of ten thousand defendants who, in spite of overwhelming evidence, is really innocent, then we have also designed a legal system that is utterly incapable of convicting the other 9999 about whose guilt there is no mistake."
--G. Edward Griffin—Author The Death Penalty has been around since 2500 B.C.; Hammurabi was the first to create written law. During this time if someone committed a capital crime such as theft or murder, they were executed to maintain harmony in the community and bring justice to those who knew the victim. However, in today’s society killing a criminal is being considered more and more barbaric. Some believe the only reason for the death penalty is revenge. Those who believe this are also complete idiots. There are many reasons for the death penalty.
The death penalty in some eyes is seen as a more humane method of punishment opposed to incapacitation. Incapacitation is sentencing a criminal to solitary confinement for the duration of a life sentence, which is a hell of a long time. The side effects of solitary confinement are an array of emotional problems, the inability to communicate with others after being released, a chain of psychiatric problems which can result in suicidal thoughts and killing others. Basically after being in solitary one looses touch with the outside world and doesn’t know how to cope with life, after 25 to 50 years