Death Penality Today

[ThomWV]

Today's poll question on CNN is "Was the jury correct to recommend the death penalty for John Allen Muhammad?" I voted No of course because I just don't think that the state has any right to take a life and that basically two wrongs do not make a right even if the guy is guilty. So with that the case for me it doesn't make a difference of degree. Either you execte or you don't and my vote goes for the 'don'ts'. I am not saying this on any religious grounds so I'm not a zellot about it.

So when I voted in the CNN poll I fully expected to see that I was in the minority on this one. After all, it was such a horrible crime and so many dead and absolutly no doubt that the kid did it. But still, 90% to 10% in favor of the death penalty for him? I had no idea that it would be so overwhelmingly lopsided towards death. Was it maybe the readership of CNN on line is that far off what I had considered a pretty centrest view that execution should not be an option?

Thom

[KG]

1. the animalistic desire for blood revenge runs deep in american society

:puke:

sad, really, when most USians consider this country to be the most advance society on the palnet. :(

[Catfish]

2. I think many people don't think about ethics

You'd have to be willing to ponder the ethics of the state having the right to take a life. I'm not sure many people do that. Also, there's sort of an increasing numbness to violence and death (maybe I'm being pessimistic about people). Then there's the whole vengeance and an eye for an eye mentality. I've not met many people, in the last few years, who are opposed to the death penalty.