Athena:
Actually, moving away from the death penalty doesn’t seem to be hurting us, much, considering violent crime rates are at 40 year lows.
Killing violent criminals will not prevent crime any more than locking them up for life will, and locking them up for life is actually cheaper.
Of course, you’ve clearly got no respect for the Constitution, so I won’t bother.

It might be at a 40 year low, but what if the numbers were in the thousands rather than the millions?  Wouldn’t that be better?
1) We don’t lock all of the violent/sexual criminals up for life.  Just look at some of the latest perps on this site.  One guy has been arrested 50 times.  If things were done my way the other 49 times never would have happened.  You tell me how the hell that doesn’t prevent crime!  That is for only one perp.  Think of all the millions out there who are on the streets committing more crimes because the system never took care of them the first time.  It’s exponential to the Nth degree!
2) How the hell is it more expensive to take someone out back and shoot them in the head or whack their head off than feeding and taking care of them for life?  How?  I wasn’t talking about being on death row forever with appeals.  I am talking about complete restructuring.  I am talking about what I said above.  Take out back and end it right there after the guilty verdict is read.  Done deal for the taxpayers at that point.
3) Have you ever thought for a second that beliefs and ideologies have changed since the constitution was written?  People used to think it was fine to enslave African Americans and do you think that is what we should believe today because that’s what our forefathers believed?  People used to believe that women should not vote and were lesser human beings than man.  Should that still be our belief?  Gays were not allowed in society, let alone the military, should that still be the belief?  Marriage between an African American and a white person was believed to not be legal, should we still have that belief?  It is still believed by many that Gays should not be allowed to marry one another…should that still be a belief because way back when the people who originated marriage believed that?  I could go on and on.
I am now even more motivated to spend some time looking up statistics as to how much our jails cost the taxpayers each year, how often a perp is released and then commits another crime, etc.

CassieMomma:
I think this is up there in horrible crimes.  When a person takes advantage of someone’s kindness to the point of killing them I can’t comprehend that. 

 
The picture in my head of defenseless Mr Rogers – is extremely sad. What is the weapon and wtf WHY?

***R I P***

* Not to ever ever Rent out a Room !!! I learned that from watching Lifetime tv …. grrr the laws …. The renter put a restraining order on the owner, which was banned from her own house. Renter, who told lies;  step on toes, break rules, before the truth or helps comes. The sicko POS can get away with awhole lot – before one can be legally evicted.

Killing violent criminals will not prevent crime any more than locking them up for life will, and locking them up for life is actually cheaper.

Of course, you’ve clearly got no respect for the Constitution, so I won’t bother.

Athena:
Normally, I would applaud such honesty, but I just can’t do that, in this case. When you are willing to murder even ONE innocent human being for “the greater good”, you are headed down a slippery slope.
Luckily, the U.S. is moving away from the death penalty, rather than toward it.

Check this out!  By deciding against killing all violent/sexual convicted criminals in order to save just a few innocently convicted  people, you are allowing this to continue to innocent human beings:
(according to disastercenter.com 2007 report)
USA rapes = 90,427
USA robbery = 445,125
USA agg assault = 855,856
USA burglary = 2,176,140
USA murder = 16,929
USA violent = 1,408,337

What about all those innocent people?  It’s okay for them to die or suffer in order to save a few dozen per year, right?  Makes logical sense, right?

Yeah moving away from the death penalty is working really well.  I say kill them all and save all those poor innocent human victims!

THE POINT IS that it is worth it to rid the planet of all the convicted violent/sexual criminals if very few innocent ones are collateral damage.

Normally, I would applaud such honesty, but I just can’t do that, in this case. When you are willing to murder even ONE innocent human being for “the greater good”, you are headed down a slippery slope.

Luckily, the U.S. is moving away from the death penalty, rather than toward it.

StrangerDanger: When there is absolute proof that cannot be disputed such as in the Chester Stiles case, the hammer should be dropped and he should be put down. I’m surprised that his case isn’t front page here on DD.

It was, when it was current.  http://www.dreamindemon.com/2007/10/16/chester-stiles-is-tired-of-running/

This is why I am a huge fan of prisons/jails like Tent City. People like this guy and others like Chester the Molester Stiles should never see the light of day again. I’d take it a step further. When there is absolute proof that cannot be disputed such as in the Chester Stiles case, the hammer should be dropped and he should be put down. I’m surprised that his case isn’t front page here on DD. Him bitching about how he didn’t hurt the 2 year old and that she liked it. Or the fact that she doesn’t remember means he should get out of jail in a couple years.
Needless, to say, Fuck you Chester. The only thing you deserve is to have your nuts run across the side of the cheese grater that you have no idea what it is for, but it looks painful.

MadeaBecBec:
Beheaded?? Oh My!! *wretch*
Once again, a successful and precious, contributing to the ‘good’ of society, person, is removed by an evil act via satans spawn…..
Jesus, come quickly!!!
Godspeed Mr. Rogers, Godspeed!!

HALLELUJAH!!!

Veronica:
So a guy who was wrongfully convicted and spent 22 years in jail was obviously worthless all along and worthy of being put to death anyway because he’s (understandably) paranoid and smokes a lot of weed?  Are you kidding?  So it’s not just hardened criminals who are actually guilty who should be put to death, it’s people who smoke a lot of dope as well?  
Wow.  Just wow.  I’m a pretty big pot smoker myself.  Am I worthless, crighteous?  
Amazing.  If wrongly convicted people end up smoking a lot of dope and overspending after they get out, then it’s evidence they should have just been put to death anyway.    The more you explain yourself, the scarier it gets.

You are missing the point.  I actually think pot should be legalized.  It is a fabulous medicine when used appropriately.

I didn’t feel the need to go into the extreme paranoia and insecurity the guy had.  It helps prove that jail doesn’t rehabilitate for real life.  After 22 years the guy turned nearly psycho crazy.

THE POINT IS that it is worth it to rid the planet of all the convicted violent/sexual criminals if very few innocent ones are collateral damage.

crighteous: That is a great question.  It is extremely rare but to be honest, usually when they are found innocent it is 20 years later.  After 20 years in the can the damage can also be done anyway.  I know of one specific case where a man was in the can for 22 years and was then found innocent of the crime.  He is extremely paranoid, smokes dope all day long, will not leave his house and has nearly spent the $800,000+ he was given for being wrongfully incarcerated.  He is worthless anywa…sad but true.  Would have been better for him if he was put to death in order for a greater good.  I believe the collateral damage is a small price to pay for the millions of criminals put to death for the good of all of humankind. 

So a guy who was wrongfully convicted and spent 22 years in jail was obviously worthless all along and worthy of being put to death anyway because he’s (understandably) paranoid and smokes a lot of weed?  Are you kidding?  So it’s not just hardened criminals who are actually guilty who should be put to death, it’s people who smoke a lot of dope as well?  

Wow.  Just wow.  I’m a pretty big pot smoker myself.  Am I worthless, crighteous?  
Amazing.  If wrongly convicted people end up smoking a lot of dope and overspending after they get out, then it’s evidence they should have just been put to death anyway.    The more you explain yourself, the scarier it gets.