do you support the death penalty even though it is racistly applied?

[aein]

http://www.quixote.org/ej/moratorium_now/broch_race.html

[stonecoldsober]

1. I do not support the DP under any circumstances

[BayCityProgressive]

3. No. It's

a tool of the corporate class.

[Der Blaue Engel]

2. Don't support it at all n/t

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

4. No!

The DP does NOT deter people from committing crime. It's revenge, plain and simple.

[twilight_sailing]

5. do you support paying taxes even though they are unevenly applied?

[durrrty libby]

8. No to taxes.....No to death penalty

[porphyrian]

6. I don't think killing someone is how we show killing someone is wrong.

It doesn't undo the damage done by the initial crime, and it isn't an effective preventative measure. On top of that, it is dealt out with a racist bias (as well as a classist one). Simply changing that last detail doesn't make it a good idea.

[baldguy]

7. Civilized nations don't murder their own people.

[chefgirl]

9. Absolutely not

Never have, never will. Not for any reason.

-chef-

[baldguy]

14. There are four countries that regularly execute people: Iran, Saudi Arabia, China

And the United States. Damn good company.

[datadiva]

10. No, not ever for any reason

State murder is still murder regardless.

[noonwitch]

11. I dont' support it ever

Don't get me wrong-I'm not mouring the deaths of McVeigh, Bundy, Gacy, etc. I just don't like the idea of executing criminals. I'd rather that life in prison meant life in prison, like the way it does in Michigan for those convicted on 1st degree murder.

[jgraz]

12. I have no problem with the death penalty *in theory*

It's very hard to argue that society wouldn't be better off if certain people weren't around to cause problems. However, I've never seen those particular people subject to the death penalty.

ETA: Welcome to DU!! :hi:

[leftofthedial]

13. I think that next to abortion

the death penalty is the most underutilized procedure we have.

[sinkingfeeling]

15. No.

[LongTomH]

16. For the record, I am opposed to the death penalty!

Most of the developed world has given up the death penalty, and they have lower crime rates than the United States!

[Az]

17. I am strongly antideath penalty

It has no place in civilized society. It is an ancient throw back to a time where vengence was believed to be justice.

The only circumstance where it is conscienable to kill another human being is when they are currently threatening your life or when they wish you to end their life.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Are you kidding?

That's why most people support it.

[wryter2000]

19. No n/t

n/t

[aquart]

20. Gee, our very own push polling.

I support the death penalty. If it makes you feel better, all the guys I want to execute are bright white.

[aein]

23. you can't support a pie-in-the-sky death penalty. only the real one. how does it feel to be a racist

[Bucky]

21. I supported the death penalty until I learned it was racially applied.

Of course the correct word is "slanted" rather than "applied", but that's a distinction without a difference. I still maintain there are crimes severe enough that execution is the appropriate punishment. The only problem is that you humans turn out to be too stupid to tell the difference and allow prejudices to cloud a just application of that principle.

Once I saw race was a factor at all in sentencing, I saw it could never be doled out with the certainty that it requires.

It's worth noting, also, that it's more expensive to kill a man than it is to just lock him up for life. I'm always impressed by the "saves a buck" argument.

[Nutmegger]

22. I am against all forms of state-sanctioned REVENGE KILLING

No matter the circumstances. Never.