capitol punishment  

I agree that maybe if a person is put to death and it turns up later that the person was innocent, then that in itself would be a crime..but how do you account for people like Charles Manson, or Son of Sam, or the killer of John Lennon?

Then I guess if more people were put to death that were innocent, it'd keep the people who were thinking on committing crimes to stop and seriously think about the consequences.

I have to agree with you. As much as I hate the thought of an innocent person being put to death, when they have the absolute facts about a person and that person shows no remorse whatsoever, I think that they deserve this. I honestly don't think there have been too many people put to death who were innocent, but I could be wrong too.

I agree. It needs to be used more often and it needs to be used quicker. There is no reason for a man, convicted in 1979 for the slaying of a police officer to be put to death nearly 20 years later due to appeal after appeal after appeal. If you were convicted once, chances are you're going to be convicted again. Give up and accept your fate.

That is why there is the appeals process, etc. And that is why people generally sit on death row for as long as they do, simply because everyone wants to make sure that they are putting to death the right person.

I'm sorry, I do not mean to question your religion, or to insult you in any way...but if a child serial killer tortured than killed small children you wouldn't think, even a little bit, that the cruel man deserved to die?

*I will not think any lower of you if you stick with you belief, I am just curious*

Great question, and I Am not at all offended, so no worries. Let me back a little and say that a person's beliefs are only as rational the person themselves. To deviate from your examples let me use the example of say some sicko killing or raping my sister--and i cathing them in the act. Let us also say there was a weapon, a gun, within reach. Knowing how much I Love my sister, and how I would probably react, in most cases, I would probably kill the sicko without hesitation or thought of consequences.
That being said, let me reiterate my original point. The Judeo-Christian commandment says, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Period, no ifs, ands, or buts. Buddhism teaches us to remain calm, and to not let ourselves be overwhelmed rage (or any other emotion.). So, in my beliefs, if not caught in the heat of the moment, I would refrain from killing. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and despite its bad rap, even Islam, teach us that forgiveness is the greatest of all virtues.

A few months back, some whacko went into an Amish school and shot and killed, pretty much an entire classroom, he raped or at least planned on raping a couple of girls, and he might even have turned the gun on himself--although I'm not sure of that--he might have been arrested. Shortly afterwords, several members of the Amish community, parents of these children came and visited the wife of the killer, and told him that they bared no hard feelings and they wished her well. Imagine that. That is some kind of compassion. Those are people, much better than I.

So yes, to answer your question, I could if not in my rational mind, violate my own beliefs. But if in my rational mind, I stick to my beliefs that my God, is a force of Creation and Love, and that even if acting out in rage, I would become simply that kind of monster I wish not to be, if I killed someone, if I wished someone dead, or if I allowed myself some grim feeling of "justice" at someone's death.

ahem, in my last post, it should read "told her" not "told him" in reference to the Amish speaking to the wife. I also made a couple of other typos. Please excuse them. thank you,
dr...

I really like your point about the killing in the heat of the moment. That makes a lot of sense to me.

And I remember hearing about the man who murdered the Amish children, it really upset me. But I do think it is great that the parents of the students did that for the wife, she must have been distraught!

I understand completely that you still have to stand by your religion and go against the death penalty :) To me it shows real character and heart on your part :)