Capital punishment, what do you think?

Question

The hippocratic oath states thou shalt do no harm

So how do doctors justify this who give the lethal injection?

What's your view on capital punihsment?

If a person kills someone else it's bad isn't it? Regardless of the circumstances

If the person is a danger to others lock him up

Answer 1

i have flip-flopped on this thru the years since I was a teenager. currently, due to the over crowding of the jails and the high cost to keep a person for life, i am in favor of it (where the crime is heinous and the evidence indisputable)

Answer 2

It doesn't have any deterrent affect. In most cases, serial killers and other murderers want to die, so it doesn't stop them killing people.

Answer 3

Yeah I agree, the death penalty is antiquated and not morally defensible. He killed someone, and that was wrong, so we kill him! Hm okay...

There's a reason why today only countries that are farce democracies still have the death penalty. Any other country like the UK has abolished it ages ago.  

Answer 4

kill 'em all... let God sort 'em out.

Answer 5

capital Punishment should NOT exist..

the problems lie in the sentences.. it seems a killer will only get 10 years now which is a JOKE!

they should get life in jail and thats it..

Capital punishment is not the answer and never should it be it is against the oath.

Answer 6

I agree.  Killing people won't make things any better.  Two rights do not make a wrong and there is good in everyone.  

Answer 7

I don't agree, besides if a man or woman killed someone and instead of getting life imprisonment they got capital punishment would that not be hypocrisy & what if they got the wrong person?! They would have killed an innocent person.

Answer 8

i think short drop hangings should be brought back cos they're fascinating to watch. the way the person struggles and their tongue hangs out. glad my neck isn't being stretched in public :P  

Answer 9

I agree that doctors should not take part in an execution..it's hypocritical not hippocratic. In general I disagree with the death penalty. This hit home when I learnt that the death penalty victims death certificate gives homicide as cause of death. But I have a niggling doubt that if someone killed some-one I love, especially my son that I would want that person dead. This is how many victims families must feel. So I agree with you 99.999%

Answer 10

I have no idea how doctors justify it although I suppose they believe it's stopping further harm from taking place.

Personally I am against capital punishment for several reasons:

It's hypocritical to punish killing with killing, the puishment in effect undermines the crime.

It is very rare you can be 100% sure that someone is guilty and capital punishment removes the possibility to later finding someone innocent and compensating them.

A murderer has a family who have done nothing wrong. Nothing can justify taking away a child's parent, a parent's child etc. Jail is more of a punishment for the offender but death is more of a punishment for the family.

Answer 11

Doctors justify it because the law allows it, and maybe they believe they are doing the right thing (I wonder if the needle would be sterilised...).

I am all in favour of capital punishment, but firstly it must be for very serious crimes ie genocide, sexual abuse of children, rapists etc and they must be guilty beyond all doubt (not reasonable doubt, ALL doubt).

Now, the reasons why I'm all for it because:

I do not see how using the tax payers money to provide free board and food for someone in a cushy little cell with a tv and playstation and free access to pool tables, a gym and whatever else for the rest of their lives is much of a punishment. It is NOT! And I am fed up with all the tunnel-visioned 'human rights' activists and their moronic view that somehow all humans deserve certain rights regardless of their crimes. It's pathetic and a big part of why the justice system does not work. If a dog bites someone it is put down, so why should the same not apply to a human who rapes and murders a child? In our arrogance and vanity we have placed ourselves apart from nature, superior to all other organisms, and this is bullshit.

To answer your question of killing being bad regardless of circumstance, I disagree strongly. If I walked into my mother's house and found her dead with her killer stood there he would die by my hands there and then. I would have no remorse, no regret and no guilt over it, as far as I'm concerned it would be morally justified (right and wrong are not dictated by law).

As an added point, there are too many people in this world already; many innocents suffer because the world cannot support us all to the levels which we in the west are used to. If capital punishment was re-introduced it would begin to tackle this problem.

Controversial as they may be these are my opinions, I believe they are morally acceptable and above all logical and I stick by them.

Answer 12

I'm in the Uk and think it should be brought back in certain circumstances.  In the case of vile, wicked people like Myra Hindley, Rose and Fred West, Ian Brady, The Yorkshire Ripper, Denis Neilsen, Ian Huntley etc etc then yes I'm all for it.  These are sick, twisted evil serial killers who murdered innocent men, women and children and will never be "rehabilitated".  How much did it cost the taxpayer to keep that evil b*tch Hindley in prison until she finally died?  It would have been a lot more cost effective to execute her.  The witch never even showed remorse for all those children she helped Brady to rape and murder.

On the other hand, abortion is the killing of an INNOCENT who has committed no crime.  A baby is fully formed from about 13 weeks into the pregnancy so I can't see how you can say its "not human".  

If a "wanted" baby was born prematurely at 23 weeks gestation everything would be done to save its life, so why is it still OK to kill other babies of this same gestation?  In some cases, in late term abortion, an injection is needed to "stop the fetal heart".  That is truly sickening.

Answer 13

Capital punishment is a form of self defense for society, the idea you can lock these thugs and they will harm no one is totally false, in prison they continue to kill and harm other inmates and staff, there is always the chance they can escape. Also prison is not punishment to a lot of these animals they adjust to life in prison, have TV, movies, visits, store privileges, libraries, outside recreation h**l some of these prisons are like hotels with room service. Doctors give abortions and do not have a problem with it why should they care about a convicted murder is always a danger to everyone he comes in contact with.

Some doctors even participate in partial birth abortions and live birth abortions, all babies are life but there is no question about these two barbaric decisions.

Answer 14

Yes it does say that in the hippocratic oath doesn't it but then if the patient is suffering extreme pain and they are terminal anyway would you like to suffer or be put out of your misery.

Capital Punishment yes put them in the ground its cheaper and they don't get out on good behaviour to repeat their crimes. Hang'em High its a good deterent as well and if we make a few mistakes Ho Hum happens.

To put it all in perspective it is not black and white in the real world as you have described it -- would you fire a gun at someone who is going to murder a child or turn your back and say any killng is bad. Hard one but thats life or death.