POLL: Gun rights and capital punishment

[mithrandir2001]

 

[LAUST]

I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint like others, if I break into your house I hope you all have guns to blow me away!

 

[mithrandir2001]

I did this poll to confirm (or allay) my suspicion that I'll be an oddball point on the graph.

I strongly support gun rights and strongly oppose capital punishment. This seems like an uncommon combination. However, my reasoning is that the government has no right controlling the possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens nor does it have the right to kill someone as a product of the judicial process. Some may argue that society wants capital punishment so it's not the government who is doing the killing. I don't see it that way. I see capital punishment as institutionalized murder.

Of course, there's no room for argument over gun rights.

 

[jjones]

I support gun rights and capital punishment. To ease my conscience I buy Girl Scout cookies.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001
I did this poll to confirm (or allay) my suspicion that I'll be an oddball point on the graph.

I strongly support gun rights and strongly oppose capital punishment. This seems like an uncommon combination. However, my reasoning is that the government has no right controlling the possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens nor does it have the right to kill someone as a product of the judicial process. Some may argue that society wants capital punishment so it's not the government who is doing the killing. I don't see it that way. I see capital punishment as institutionalized murder.

Of course, there's no room for argument over gun rights.

Would you be okay if the victim (I mean family members affected) doled out the capital punishment?

 

[zerocomm]

i support gun rights if nothing else, just as a defense against oppressive governments (if that ever happens). on the other hand, capital punishment does nothing for us. first of all, it is more expensive in judicial and other costs then keeping someone in prison for life, secondly, it is a fairly archaic practice. the only way i would support capital punishment is if it was for some really evil people (ie: osama bin laden, timmothy mcvey, george bush).

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: zerocomm
i support gun rights if nothing else, just as a defense against oppressive governments (if that ever happens). on the other hand, capital punishment does nothing for us. first of all, it is more expensive in judicial and other costs then keeping someone in prison for life, secondly, it is a fairly archaic practice. the only way i would support capital punishment is if it was for some really evil people (ie: osama bin laden, timmothy mcvey, george bush).

Don't start on the cost issue, that has been argued and debunked. We all know the reason the cost is so high is because of the numerous appeals and length of stay in a solitary wing of the prison. Get rid of the automatic appeals and go to a quick execution and costs come down substantially.

 

[yellowperil]

I believe it's one's prerogative to own a gun. As a matter of social policy I think it would be foolish to ban guns, given the number that are out there and the development of a black market. However, my personal belief is strongly against guns. I think they do far more social harm than good, given all the homicides in domestic/everyday disputes involving guns vs. the relatvely small # of cases where one successfully defends him/herself with a gun.

On the death penalty, I don't oppose it on the grounds that it is cruel or unusual punishment. I oppose it because given the uncertainties of the legal system, innocent people can (and have) been put to death. Most of criminal law supports the notion that it would be better to allow the guilty to go free than the innocent to be punished. The death penalty is inconsistent with this IMO.

So gun rights - yes, capital punishment - no

 

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001
I did this poll to confirm (or allay) my suspicion that I'll be an oddball point on the graph.

I strongly support gun rights and strongly oppose capital punishment. This seems like an uncommon combination. However, my reasoning is that the government has no right controlling the possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens nor does it have the right to kill someone as a product of the judicial process. Some may argue that society wants capital punishment so it's not the government who is doing the killing. I don't see it that way. I see capital punishment as institutionalized murder.

Of course, there's no room for argument over gun rights.

Would you be okay if the victim (I mean family members affected) doled out the capital punishment?

I wouldn't be happy about it, but it might serve as a compromise transition phase from today's jury-ordered executions to modern/enlightened death-free punishment. I worry about innocent people being executed and the fact that the quality of your lawyer make mean the difference between life and death. Should those with limited resources settle for pedestrian public defenders while celebrities like OJ hire celebrity lawyers to get off the hook? Capital punishment is a flawed institution, I don't think anybody can argue against that. I'm more of a visionary, quasi-Utopian thinker and I think the death penalty will eventually be viewed by future generations as a barbaric practice of the past.

 

[zerocomm]

well of course the actual cost of killing someone is cheap, but mandatory appeals are necessary. i think they should be damn sure they want to kill someone. plus its a check system that buys time to make sure the killer isn't innocent

 

[WinkOsmosis]

I support gun rights and oppose capital punishment. Capital punishment is murder.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I support both, and like the idea from Larry Niven's books of harvesting the organs of the criminal so that some good comes from their otherwise worthless existence.

Just as long as their transplanted hair doesn't take over the body of the recipient

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

I oppose capital punishment. I have seen who serves on juries.

 

[Tominator]

Everyone knows my stance on guns...

I believe in capitol punishment, BUT, our judicial system has been corrupted to the point it is insanely ineffective. Those with money for a good lawyer ALWAYS get better treatment than those less fortunate.

Thanks to the Trial Lawyer Lobby and Liberal Judges, I wonder if true justice can ever be served.

 

[SpongeBob]

Oppose both.

 

[DonaldC]

I favor both. That said, I think we need to level the playing field for the poor. Seems more and more of them are now being found innocent after DNA tests. The system is way outta whack.

 

[Talon02]

2nd amendment 'nuff said.

As for capital punishment, for rapists and murderers, it is definitely the only solution, we must be certain that they NEVER do it again, and life without the possibility of paroll is absurdly costly and has the same affect as death.

 

[AaronP]

I have no problem with capital punishment, however I oppose it just because they might get the wrong person. I think it should only be used when there is videotape evidence, or DNA evidence.

I'm all for gun rights, anybody who ever tries to take my gun away from me had better be in full body armor.

 

[Branded]

I am for gun control, but mainly handguns. You don't need them for hunting, just shooting people. I know people will say 'what about that sniper', but that is an anomaly. In washington and baltimore hundreds are killed by handguns every year.


I know the other silly arguments gun lovers will make but we have to start somewhere, so our great grandchildren can live in a society where only the designated peace keepers can carry handguns everywhere.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Talon02
2nd amendment 'nuff said.

As for capital punishment, for rapists and murderers, it is definitely the only solution, we must be certain that they NEVER do it again, and life without the possibility of paroll is absurdly costly and has the same affect as death.

Life in jail costs less than death penalty... and it gives people a chance to reform or find God or whatever.

 

[Ferocious]

I support current gun control legislation....but wouldn't mind a little more restrictions.

I oppose capital punishment in it's current state....because under current conditions....the rich and famous are basically exempt from it.

 

[bunker]

I'm all for gun rights
I'm also all for capital punishment, just not the way it is applied here in the U.S. It takes too long to be a real deterrent, plus, as was mentioned above, it costs more to kill a person than to put them in jail for life.

 

[fatbaby]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: Talon02
2nd amendment 'nuff said.

As for capital punishment, for rapists and murderers, it is definitely the only solution, we must be certain that they NEVER do it again, and life without the possibility of paroll is absurdly costly and has the same affect as death.

Life in jail costs less than death penalty... and it gives people a chance to reform or find God or whatever.

That doesnt seem logical to me though. Won't the kilowatts used to kill the guy cost less than $1? And for life in jail, we have to pay the salaries of the wardens and guards. And for their food and clothing. Also, prisons are getting overcrowded, so capitol punishment will make room for the other bad guys? Just my opinion

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: fatbaby

Originally posted by: Jellomancer

Originally posted by: Talon02
2nd amendment 'nuff said.

As for capital punishment, for rapists and murderers, it is definitely the only solution, we must be certain that they NEVER do it again, and life without the possibility of paroll is absurdly costly and has the same affect as death.

Life in jail costs less than death penalty... and it gives people a chance to reform or find God or whatever.

That doesnt seem logical to me though. Won't the kilowatts used to kill the guy cost less than $1? And for life in jail, we have to pay the salaries of the wardens and guards. And for their food and clothing. Also, prisons are getting overcrowded, so capitol punishment will make room for the other bad guys? Just my opinion

Who uses electric chairs?? Guards are not payed very much for each prisoner... the only way to significantly reduce the cost would be to execute all criminals.
Plus there's the cost of the automatic appeal that is required to "make sure" that the verdice is correct.

 

[bunker]

That doesnt seem logical to me though. Won't the kilowatts used to kill the guy cost less than $1? And for life in jail, we have to pay the salaries of the wardens and guards. And for their food and clothing. Also, prisons are getting overcrowded, so capitol punishment will make room for the other bad guys? Just my opinion

The reason it costs more to kill someone is because of all the appeals a person sentenced to death gets. Lawyer's and judges salaries plus court costs add up real quick.