This is an interesting topic for me. I'm still agnostic about it. On the anti-death penalty side, I think the strongest point to be made is that it costs more, so why waste more tax dollars on people who may not even deserve to live? http://conservativesconcerned.org/why-were-concerned/cost/ https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty However, I can only see this as an argument against how the current system handles capital offenses and not against execution itself. I think it really comes down to ethics. I can sympathize with arguments from both sides of the aisle. If we kill them, doesn't that make us as bad as them? On the flip side, some people commit absolutely atrocious crimes. Personally, I would love to see these people be killed for doing them. Self-defense is obviously justifiable, so why would I be justified in killing someone who's threatening to kill but not someone who has killed? I understand that one is for self-preservation versus the other is for punishment but the act is the same. Why would I be as bad as the murderer if I killed him later rather than now? There's also the slippery slope argument to consider. Say death penalty is legalized, but only if there's proof that the convicted has killed someone. The SCOTUS has ruled on this and stated that putting someone on death row for anything less than murder is a violation of the 8th amendment as it is non-proportional. But I think this bastard should have been killed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_v._Louisiana But if people who have not committed the act of murder can be eligible for the death penalty, where does it end? It could lead to killing people for smaller and smaller crimes. Would love to know your guys' opinions on this.
I know there are monsters that don't deserve to breath the same air, as the rest of us, but I've always been uneasy with capital punishment. There have been men killed thru capital punishment, that have been innocent. So the system isn't fool proof by any means. As long as there's even a remote chance of a innocent person being put to death, capital punishment shouldn't be used.
You seem to have avoided the key question lots of people do when discussing this topic (or indeed anything about criminal justice); what are you actually trying to achieve? Until you’ve established what the purpose (claimed and actual) of the death penalty is can we assess its practical effectiveness and moral legitimacy.
Can anyone be rehabilitated? Death is final, from it there is no chance of tomorrow. If you believe that no one can be rehabilitated them I suppose death is an option but then you'd have to say that death is the only solution to all criminals since people can't be rehabilitated. Jeff Sessions, when he was a state attorney general pushed for the death penalty for a second offense of selling pot. Do we kill everyone that gets caught twice for any crime? I believe people can change, even murderers. Set aside for a moment how many people may have been executed for crimes they did not commit and look at what we may lose by killing someone that could later prove a benefit to society. The Birdman of Alcatraz isn't just a story but a true story of someone that after being a repeat killer later became an authority on birds. What if you kill someone that has the cure for cancer inside them? Death is final. There is no chance for redemption. No mater how rare how can we justify killing someone that could change their lives? When I was in college there was this guy, Brother Jeb, that would stand on the quad preaching. Common themes were women dressed as whores, you know, in pants, or men with briefs instead of boxers. But his most common subject was that all gays should be killed. I asked him if he preaches to save us from sin, to save our souls. Of course that was why he was there. I followed up with how he could save the soul of a gay person if he killed them. He didn't like me much.
I think the objections are strong: Innocent people may be killed, which is unacceptable. It's not necessary for public safety since you can lock them up. It's probably not a deterrant in many cases since the perp may be drunk or on drugs or angry etc, and not thinking rationally, or a member of a gang. The biggest deterrant is the chance of getting caught.
