Death Penalty

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

Because the people involved in the prosecution of these cases are also using them to build careers they are not without bias. There can be huge public pressure to bring someone, anyone in and once they have targeted a suspect it is not in their best interests to let it go easily. This can be a set up for abuse of the system.

Do not misunderstand. We are a family with deep roots in law enforcement but I believe that only God should determine a persons time of death and if we try to circumvent that in our quest for justice we have tipped the scales in a wrong direction. One can never give someone back their life once it is taken.

Stew have you read the Clarence Brandley story? Happened right here in my home town and all of the crooked DAs that were involved are now judges. Every person involved in the false prosecution of Mr. Brandley was rewarded for their work on the case, when he was exonerated not one of them lost their promotion, let alone their job, over it. There is absolutely no accountability for police officers and DAs that knowingly persecute the innocent.

That is horrible.

What if we had a system wherein if one was exhonorated after execution and crooked procedures were found in the case of the prosecution, the DA faced ten years in prison?

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Aquila

That is horrible.

What if we had a system wherein if one was exhonorated after execution and crooked procedures were found in the case of the prosecution, the DA faced ten years in prison?

It is a complicated problem Aquila. The prosecutors are using evidence that they themselves did not collect oft times. They need to be effective. Even where it is the guilty being tried everything may not be just laid out neat and tidy. There are almost always some loose ends. But yes, where someone is railroaded, in this case plainly because of race, I think that there should be penalties.

In situations like this it gives me great comfort to know that all will face a just God.

[Dordrecht]

Looks like our justice system is a mess.
God's justice system looks better.

[Cindy]

I have always admired victims family members, that forgive the ones that murdered their loved ones. Mostly they do it for their own peace of mind I think. And I try to remember with the death penalty, their are always many victims on both sides. And both sides lose someone.

[AreYouReady?]

Does anybody remember the time outgoing Governor Ryan commuted the sentences of all death row inmates because he was not sure how many of these people were indeed innocent of the crime they were accused and found guilty of?

The families of slain people were very upset.


I am afraid that there is no real solution to this very devastating problem until our Lord Jesus returns to rule the earth. Man sure has proven that we cannot govern our own selves.


http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/12/us...ted=all&src=pm

[aegsm76]

I am opposed to abortion and opposed to capital punishment.
With that said, I would have no problem defending my family with deadly force, if necessary.

[bbyrd009]

It's funny how ambivalent I used to be about the death penalty; and now I see it as a heinous wound, another symptom.

[Cindy]

Do we have more law breakers than law abiding people in this country? Probably not, but it sure seems like it sometimes. I would however not want to be responsible for an innocent person being executed. But I also know that prison does not rehabilitate most criminals. I do believe in the 3 strike system, for any felony crime.

[Jay]

I do believe in the death penalty. Murder, rape, child molestation, and kidnapping are all on my list of crimes for execution. I know that some of these can repent and receive the Holy Ghost, however they have committed actions that necitate their execution.

The way you solve much of the killing of innocent men is to let prosecutors know that they will suffer the same fate if they are found to have railroaded the innocent.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Jay

I do believe in the death penalty. Murder, rape, child molestation, and kidnapping are all on my list of crimes for execution. I know that some of these can repent and receive the Holy Ghost, however they have committed actions that necitate their execution.

The way you solve much of the killing of innocent men is to let prosecutors know that they will suffer the same fate if they are found to have railroaded the innocent.

That's a nice thought but it doesn't work. We have three judges in my county who made their careers on the backs of an innocent man named Clarence Brandley. So now that you know that they are there what do you propose to do about it?... ummm, nothing... right. The book is called White lies or a movie called Whitewash. Or if you don't have time here is a brief article on him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Brandley

I challenge you to read it and then see if you could still support the death penalty. Mr Brandley was within hours of execution no less than three times and spent more than a decade on death row.

Recently Texas killed another man who was widely believed to be innocent. Check out:http://www.innocenceproject.org/know/

Also I do not think a government should have the power to execute it's citizenry. The potential for abuse becomes too great. I know that we all think that it could not happen to us or to our loved ones but it can.

As pastor Martin Niemöller famously said:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak out because I was Protestant.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

I think that the time to speak out is while we still have a voice.