The Death Penalty 01/07/2009

The Death Penalty Current mood: curious Category: Life
This is a conversation regarding the death penalty that Kevin and I had..... He wrote:I am an advocate of the death penalty. For the record, I must state that I do not feel that the death penalty is a deterrent to infamous crimes of murder. Here are some statistics for the United States in 2007. Thirty-eight states had capital statutes. Forty-two persons were executed. Forty-one lethal injections and one electrocution. Texas took a commanding lead with twenty-six of the executions. Three each for Alabama and Oklahoma. Two each for Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. One each for the states of South Carolina, South Dakota, Georgia and Arizona. As I mentioned, I do not believe the death penalty is a deterrent, nor have I found any statistics that remotely suggest that it may be.I find it to be just for the victims that can no longer speak for themselves. I find it just for the correctional staff that supervise and care for them for the duration here in life. Just, for the sake of those people that may be subject to the possibility of being yet another victim to the criminal.These murders took the lives of some innocent people in many of these capital cases. They had no right to take the lives of unsuspecting and un-deserving people. I thank God each night that my family has not been directly afflicted by the pain that these criminals have caused. As responsible citizens, it is our responsibility to make sure that these killers are not only put away; But put to death never giving them the slightest chance to take away another loved one. Albert "The Boston Strangler" Desalvo, John Wayne Gacy, Robert Pickton, David Burkowitz. The list continues Andrew Cunanan,Ed Gein, Henry Lee Lucas, Richard Ramirez, Richard Speck And Dennis Rader, do these monsters really deserve to live. They already have much more than they they deserve. How many of us can name the victims, how many movies have we made about the lives of those innocent victims? How may of us have rushed to the box office to see how those innocent victims lived?Those are just some of the high profile serial killers that haunt us everyday. There are many more that have taken lives. Taken the lives of innocent people that were just trying to make a living as clerks at the local convenient store. Young children taken away from their homes and murdered. The criminals that went in to the bank and shot people, mortally wounding them just to put the money of others in their pockets. I Feel the only safe place for them to be is in the electric chair or on the death bed awaiting the lethal injection. That is the only real way to keep us safe and at peace. Having been an employee of the corrections department, prison life is much too good for these criminals. The death penalty is just!I wrote:Well this is a highly controversial subject. I really don't know where to begin....I have been on the fence with this for years. I am just going to throw some thoughts out there....some thoughts are for it, some against it, and some on the fence....I really don't have a set in stone opinion on it...Should we kill to show that killing is wrong? I know, an eye for an eye....I have heard that many times before, but I would have to read more into the Bible on that subject before I can really comment on it as far as the religious side of it....A part of me, well the majority of me feels as if it is God's decision when people's lives should come to an end. So with that being said, I feel like the murderer has no right to end the life of another (the victim) which also means we have no right to end the life of a murderer....It is VERY hard for me to say that, but my thoughts are based around my beliefs and it is the truth. With that being said, I have never had someone close to me taken from this world due to murder. (Thank God) So if I were to experience that, I don't know how I would feel. As a Christian, I am required to forgive and the Lord would want me to forgive. I am very thankful and grateful that I haven't been put into that situation.It is ironic that you posted this blog....I was just watching The Green Mile the other day and I thought to myself while watching the execution scene, "I wonder if the officer that actually pulls the lever to start the electric chair will have to answer to that one day...." I have always wondered this. At one point in time (before I was saved) I wanted to be on the "Execution Team" .....I have different views on it now. I have always believed in God and what was right and what is wrong, but now I read into things much more than I used to. So when you mentioned John Wayne Gacy, Jeffery Dahmer, etc. Yes, I will say when I hear those names, I cringe and there is a part of me that thinks they deserved what they got. One guy comes into mind that was executed in Ohio in 2006 when I worked at Lucasville. Not sure of his first name, but his last name was Furgeson. He volunteered execution and made a comment in an interview that he wanted to molest Jesus in an afterlife. There were even nuns protesting his execution. We have had some horrible criminals do horrid things in this world!! What about these people that go in churches and shoot and kill people, or in schools, or killing kids, i.e. the Caylee Anthony story....they all upset me very much.....BUT, I do not believe of levels of sin. I believe murder is murder! Period. Now, with that being said, does this mean that we should put to death people who work in abortion clinics? the doctors? What about young kids (7-8 years old) who kill a parent, or a younger brother or sister....maybe shoot them, maybe by wrestling too hard with them..... What about DUI's? People who drive drunk and kill other people?? What about drug dealers who sell to people who overdose....Or medical malpractice which results in death.....It is ALL murder. Whether the weapon was a gun, knife, scalpal, wrong medication, a car, use of force, carelessness, etc. It is ALL murder. So who are we to judge and pick and chose who pays for it and who doesn't??? The judicial system has gotten to the point to where it is so messed up and way too leniant!! (sp)? The system was originally built around religion/the 10 commandments....and over time, unfortunately it has deminished to a joke to where people actually start believing that there are levels of sin. The Bible is black and white. Not gray. It was not written to be watered down, covered up, but this Nation definitely is well on it's way of doing that along with ruining everything else.I am very disappointed in this country and it's only going to get worse!!