Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City. Motivated by his hatred of the United States government, Timothy McVeigh detonated an explosive filled truck parked beside the building, killing 168 people, including 19 children, and injuring 600 more. 324 buildings in the area were also damaged by the blast, resulting in $652 million worth of property damage. Prior to September 11th, 2001, this was the most destructive terrorist attack on U.S. soil. To those affected personally by the Oklahoma City bombing, my thoughts and prayers go out to you today.
Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to die by lethal injection. He was executed in 2001 in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. His co-conspirator, Terry Nichols is serving multiple life sentences. In a few weeks, we will discuss the 8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the concept of "cruel and unusual punishment" and how it relates to the death penalty. So, my question to you this week is "Do you think the death penalty is an appropriate form of punishment? Why or why not? When should the death penalty be used?" Answers are due no later than Sunday, April 25th, 2010. Don't forget to sign your name to receive full credit. Happy Earth Day - April 22nd, 2010!!
I believe that the death penalty is the correct penalty for those that have murdered one or more people. The only stipulations would be if the criminals were convicted of anything other than mureder. So, I believe that if it's man slaughter or done through self defense there should be a life sentence. If the act was without a doubt deliberate murder, then I believe that the only reasonable penalty is taking their life as well. I also believe that the lethal injections is not suitable to the crime of murder. The injection makes sure that that the criminal doesn't suffer through lethal chemicals being injected. I don't believe that the criminal made sure that the victim didn't suffer, so the death should fit the crime. I believe the punishment should be long and drawn out instead of quick and painless.
ReplyDelete- Austin Smith
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ReplyDeleteI am for the death penalty as a punishment for malicious acts of violence such as murder and repeated child abuse and molestation. I believe it must be clear without a shadow of a doubt that they are guilty of the crime. If someone goes out of their way to take another life they should surrender theirs. Also if someone is a repeat offender of child related crimes, they obviously cannot be rehabilitated. I don’t think the form of the death penalty should be cruel or unusual; lethal injection seems like a humane method of punishment.
ReplyDeleteLori Luttman
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ReplyDeleteI believe any injection, shock treatment, shooting, etc is committing murder as well. It seems a bit hypocritical to me. With human imperfection, who is to say this person gets to live, but this person has to die. I realize people commit horrible crimes against others. However, I believe there are other ways to punish for these horrible crimes. We are taught to repay evil for evil to no one. This doesn't mean ignore the situation, but I don't think committing another murder solves any problems. Lately we've been discussing our freedoms and how we are thankful for them. A lifetime without any freedoms does seem like a form of punishment. In my opinion, murder is murder no matter the reason. I don't think the death penalty should be used.
ReplyDeleteKaloni
I believe any injection, shock treatment, shooting, etc is committing murder as well. It seems a bit hypocritical to me. With human imperfection, who is to say this person gets to live, but this person has to die. I realize people commit horrible crimes against others. However, I believe there are other ways to punish for these horrible crimes. We are taught to repay evil for evil to no one. This doesn't mean ignore the situation, but I don't think committing another murder solves any problems. Lately we've been discussing our freedoms and how we are thankful for them. A lifetime without any freedoms does seem like a form of punishment. In my opinion, murder is murder no matter the reason. I don't think the death penalty should be used.
ReplyDeleteKaloni
I am for the death penalty. If all states would go back to imposing the death penalty it may show the gangs and other criminals that a life is valued, and the taking of someones will cost them theirs.
ReplyDeleteWhy should we as tax payers pay to keep these murders alive in jail where we feed and cloth them. While the victims families are left to suffer through their scentless lose.
JB
You know I don't know what I think about this anymore. Does anyone really deserve to die? I believe all living things should be free of all kinds of things so they can enjoy the life they have been given. But some people can't control their idea of fun and enjoyment sometimes. Or they think violence will solve their problem so their life will be more enjoyable. Of course I used to think an eye for an eye. So I don't know how to feel about this since a lot of my outlook on life has changed. I think our jails and prison systems are highly over crowded with non violent criminals that need and can be delt with in a different way. These people with drug and alcohol addiction need to be put through a rehab program not only for their health but also for their family and friends. There is also a large population of people incarcerated who are not there for drugs or violent crimes. I'm sure we can find some where else to put people who don't pay child support or have speeding tickets they didn't pay. Then we can start dealing with our violent criminals and deciding if any crime even murder is worth taking another life trying to make things right.
ReplyDeleteI used to think that the death penalty was an appropriate punishment for a crime of murder. As I get older I realize that this punishment affects more than the prisoner and is more costly than providing a life sentence in jail. I think living with their act of murder is more beneficial and hopefully more insightful. My grandpa was murdered and I don't feel that the death of his perpetrators will provide any solace. He is gone and their death won't bring him back. As a sidenote, I am no longer in this class but love the Stpehanie James Blogs!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, no, I don't agree with the death penalty. I believe that people who take another persons life, regardless of the reason, has to deal with this for the rest of their lives. It has to always be on their mind. I think they should live with this. Giving them lethal injection gives them an escape from their "torment." I think they should have to live in a dark, damp pit with no bed, enough food to survive, no showers, nothing, for the rest of their natural lives. Why should we have to pay with our taxes to shelter them in a cell with a bed, sometimes a TV, and grounds priviledges. Some people are repeat offenders because they have more in jail then out of jail. They like the fact that they don't have to think for themselves. But it is pretty rediculous that we give them a last meal. I say let them suffer until they die, and I don't want to pay for the injections because I am sure that they are not cheap. An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. They have it coming to them.
ReplyDeleteI am all for the death penalty. I do not believe in the lethal injection, but I do believe in the electric chair. Lethal injection is too easy on the person being put to death.I think the should have to feel every bit of the pain as they are being put to death just as their victims felt their pain as they were being killed.I don't believe in this long drawn out process of appeals either. There are people on death row who have been there for years and years because of the appeal process. I hate having to use my tax dollars to provide them with the comforts of prison. They should not have cable television(probably satellite now), they should not have access to books,games,cigarettes, or time out on the grounds. These people even take college classes will imprisoned. They should have been doing that will they had their freedom on the outside, instead of committing murder and violent crimes. Someone was talking about the overcrowded jails and prisons... They wouldn't be overcrowded if they would put these murderers to death when they are convicted of their crime, if people would pay their child support instead of trying to get out of it, and if they would pay their traffic violations, there would not be over crowded jails and prisons.I also believe they need to go back to the good old days when you were sentenced to a life of hard labor, then these people who supposedly can't make it outside of jail would think twice about wanting to come back to prison. These are my opinions.
ReplyDeleteSomething I forgot to mention,Timothy McVeigh was put to death for his actions, why wasn't Terry Nichols put to death instead of living out his life with multiple life sentences?He was just as guilty as McVeigh?
ReplyDeleteI am for the death penalty. Take a life you must give a life. However I am a little unsure about the drunk drivers because they did not go out thinking they are going to go drink and kill someone. But other than that, people like Timothy McVeigh need to receive the death penalty. Not only will this free up space in the jail systems but we wouldn't be wasting tax dollars on criminals that kill to have a comfortable living.
ReplyDeleteBriana D
Im stil unsure if the death penalty is a correct form of punishment. I know that everyone should pay the consequences for thier actions but is the death penalty the right way to do it? They still have the right to live even if it is in jail for the rest of their lives. i think that they should suffer in prison and think about everything that they have caused and people that they have hurt including their own family. Also prisoners should not have the right to have free time and live somewhat comfortable. They should be in a place that is dirty or should not be allowed to go outside. why have the rights to do that after they committed a crime? By giving those people the death penalty it does not change anything about the crime. In my opinion giving some else the Death penalty is considered murder so what the difference between those people and other murders? Murder is murder and that won't change and murder shouldnt be the answer at all.
ReplyDeleteThe people that commit all these crimes also have family members that still want them alive even if they know that they have done wrong. Im sure they would rather visit them in prison then visit them at their grave site.
Diana
I think the death penalty is appropiate in certaing cases. What Timothy did was wrong and that is like hurting the society. He killed a significant amount of people in that society and if someone is hurting or bringing down the society the first soulution is to get rid of that problem. But you also never really know if a person has committed a crime, unless you have great evidence. I guess it can go both ways.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in the death penalty. We I was younger I was put in time out for a certain amount of time whenever I acted up or did something bad. If I had acted out of line again I was put back in time out for longer amount of time. Sooner or later I learned to change my ways. I would rather see a man or women put in jail forever rather than see he or she go way for 20 years then face the death penalty on his or her 21 year. Back in slavery if you were out of line then you were killed and that was wrong. Now people are in slaved to prison and if your facing the death penalty then its now ok.
ReplyDeleteI am very much pro-peace so I can not condone murder or violence of any kind. I do not think that the death penalty is an appropriate form of punishment and I do not believe it should be use. I don't think the current alternative is the best answer either, the American prison system definitely needs to be reevaluated and changed. the death penalty could send the wrong message and teach people that violence or revenge is an acceptable way to solve their problems.
ReplyDeleteJames Parsons
I agree with others that the death penalty is a good thing to those who have no problem with killing others. These men not only were mad at the United States government. So they decided to take it into their own hands by killing innocent people and children. Thats what gets me the most how can you think taking innocent lifes are going to help your problems. That alone to me is worth receiving the death penatly. If they thought it was okay to kill others then why should we really worry how or why these criminals are killed. I don't know, it can really go both ways.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think death penalty is severe enough to punish someone. What is death penalty? It means getting rid of someone’s life in one shot and what’s that going to help. They never got a chance to realize what they did.
ReplyDeleteAs far as penalty is concerned I think the crime offenders should be sentenced to life-time imprisonment and they should go through every moment of suffering all their life. In that way, other offenders out in the public can realize what kind of pain they would have to go through once they are confined and then they might stop ruling the world as criminals. I don’t think they are scared of death but living in a dark room all their life without any means of entertainment or happiness would definitely frighten them and they might think twice before committing a crime.
Sajal Dhingra
I believe that any act of murder is the most heinous act any human can commit. That being said I also don't believe that an eye for an eye is an appropriate penalty. I had an uncle that was killed in the atrocities committed on September the 11th. To me, even though this was a devastating loss to my family, revenge wouldn't be an appropriate solution. It is my belief that if we kill the individuals responsible for any murder, be it a robbery gone wrong, or an act of devastation and destruction akin to none our modern world has seen is too simple. Death in itself is in reality a simple and quick solution for something so evil. With that said I haven't ever found an appropriate solution, but I believe we could benefit from their nefarious choices in life. The best solution I've ever considered is a life of heavy and free labor. The United States is in serious need of massive construction to the industrial infrastructure. Events such as the levies breach after Hurricane Katrina, and the bridge collapse in Minnesota, have shown use the desperate need for repair many of our structures are under. This provides one of two benefits. The first and most obvious is clearly that of free labor, which would drop the cost of repairing said infrastructure. The second would be the moral benefit of foregoing murdering a murderer, as well as if the said convict is found innocent of the crimes which they were convicted, they are not long from this world. While this does raise the debate of slave labor, let us not forget we already use chain gangs for road clean up. This is just a thought, but I love to look for silver linings in storm clouds.
ReplyDeleteTyler Cook
"I am from Texas where they have the death penalty, and they use it" - Ron White.
ReplyDeleteI am from Texas, I do believe in the death penalty. Why should someone who has created such sorrow, be awarded life. Life to me is everyday cherished. I think its a blessing to wake up healthy and get the privilege to see the light of day. Someone who has taken life from someone else should not have that privilege. To me, its hard to say how I feel on this matter. I would think twice about an act of violence if my life was at risk. Maybe that's what we need everywhere. Just maybe, there wouldn't be AS many acts of violence if their lives were in danger.
I'm not talking about the death penalty for EVERY crime committed. I'm talking about the unjust killing of another person. Self defense does not constitute an unjust killing, you should have the right to defend yourself. But the causing harm to innocent people for no reason should be punished. My thoughts go out to family and friends affected by this tragedy.
The death penalty is surrounded by controversy for obvious reasons. Is the death penalty justified in every case of murder? Only certain situations? When is it considered fair?
ReplyDeleteMurder is not a broad term, and does have stipulations on what is considered murder. Manslaughter, killing in self-defense, killing due to insanity, they are all taking the life of another human, but I do not feel any of them deserve the death penalty. I do however feel that if a human was to deliberately take the life of another, they should also be put to death.
If one intentionally kills someone, they know full and well what they are doing (premeditated). Those who say that they should sit in jail and feel remorse about what they have done, what do you do in the case of someone who doesn't care what they did? Why should those who couldn't care less about another human continue to live their life?
Another issue that arises when one sits in jail is the influence they continue to have on the inside. It’s astounding the activity that happens on the outside that was orchestrated by someone in prison. People are impressionable, why allow someone who spreads hate and violence to proclaim any longer?
While in prison, you are entitled to 3 meals a day, a roof over your head, and a bed to sleep on. Why would I support that kind of treatment to someone who has purposefully taken the life of another, when there are war veterans, people who have risked their life to save ours, who sleep in the streets? The money we pay through taxes to provide food for a murderer’s entire life should be used to help rehabilitate those who need it most.
An issue I have with the death penalty in any case is the publicity it is given. Those who kill for a cause and are put death in return instantly become martyrs, a source of inspiration for those who believe the same. The death penalty should be used on a case-by-case basis, but should never be given any attention by any media. Their lives should be forgotten, as they gave no second thought to those lives they took.
-Adam Gading
Ross Riley
ReplyDeleteSo i think that the death penalty is not a good form of punishment for convicts i was raised with the idea that no man or woman should have the right to choose who lives or dies. If you inflict death on some one even if it is a person who killed hundreds of people, i belive that makes you no better then that person. I kinda belive when you do something along those lines it breaks your soul a little bit. So to answer your other question i dont belive it is ever appropriate. That just how i feel.
The death penalty is something that I believe in very strongly about. It is a appropriate form of punishment for someone who fits the crime. That type of crime would considered rape and terrorist acts, or cruel crimes. Why wouldn't you want someone to suffer like the victim did. Punishment has to fit the crime of choice. It's appropriate for someone that isn't ever going to change. Why should they sit in prison waste our taxes dollars, even if they are there for life. The victims have to life with what they did to them or families. I think their lucky we don't punishment them the way they did to the victim they hurt. I don't understand why all states don't have the death penalty, don't they care about the victims and want justice?
ReplyDeleteJaimie Foutz
The death penalty has gotten to the point where it's all about revenge and publicity, which in effect just encourages those who supported that person and their beliefs. We use the death penalty on those who have committed serious crimes of violence in hopes of getting rid of that violence. However, isn't sentencing them to death just another form of violence? It's just continuing the violence instead of alleviating it. As for Tim McVeigh, in his mind he was acting in a fit of revenge when he bombed the downtown Oklahoma building. So in sentencing the death penalty out of revenge, aren't we just as bad? Some would say that it's part of the healing process, but even Bud Welch (his daughter was killed in the bombing) said that he was not able to move on until he found that it was not a part of the healing process.
ReplyDeleteThe death penalty costs a high price as well-something I never knew before I did this research. According to the death penalty information center, the state of California has spent "an estimated $90 million per year over the normal costs to carry out the death penalty." Even local counties, such as in the state of Georgia, have had to raise taxes to pay for death penalty trials. Also, "in Florida, each execution is costing the state $3.2 million." There are so many more instances just like this, some even worse. The DPIC suggests that this amount of money is way over the cost it would have been to "imprison someone in a single cell for 40 years."
Now I leave you with one question--how much killing and how much revenge are we willingly prepared to pay for?
-Kelsey Marra
I think the death penalty should only be used in very extreme cases such as mass murder. The death penalty dose not stop murder, but some people do what I can only be described as truly evil things and do not deserve to live. I don't think every person in jail for murder should be killed, but people like Timothy McVeigh and those who commit crimes against mankind should have the death penalty taken into consideration as punishment. I am not person who could be final judge for a persons life or death, but with crimes of this magnitude death should be a possible part of the judgment.
ReplyDelete- Cameron Alford
It depends on the crime, if one should do something I deem as unforgivable and don't in anyway regret their actions then they cant be saved. I don't believe that torture should be aloud but at the same time certain situations call for some kind of action like when dealing with bomb threats and the like. I don't believe saying that the two are the same because once your dead your dead and that's about it.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I am certain of is that I never want to be the one to be in charge of these types of decisions but I believe murder of mass proportion is unforgivable.
a saying I heard once made the most sense, "Those who are willing to shoot, should be prepared to be shot."
I am all for the death penalty. I don't believe that a person deserves to live after committing a heinous crime like murder, especially murder. I don't think their death should even be an issue considering a murderer kills with intent to do so... why should another person hesitate to end that murderer's life? He never gave his victim a chance. (Someone would be willing to take the job of killing criminals, and then an average person wouldn't have to live with the guilt since that's what worries people.) There are issues with choosing who or what type of crime should result in the death penalty, though, and I think that if someone is unmistakeably convicted of murder... for sure, then that person would be up for bat. Rapists and child molesters and all those types can stay in prison. (They may just get what's coming to them.) If someone kills another person by accident or in self-defense and can prove it, time in jail is fair, but true killers and terrorists have no right to live in my eyes. I think people who can't handle life to the extent of ending others' is a serious problem, and it's not the tax payers' fault that those types of people didn't learn how to cope growing up. We should know right from wrong, and murder crimes go way beyond wrong. I do also think that giving criminals options in ways to die is ridiculous. They shouldn't get to choose. They should be killed by whatever's cheapest. I don't find the death penalty as cruel and unusual punishment when it is murderers being put to death.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the death penalty as a way of revenge or as a way to help end crime in general. It could help slow crime if people knew they would get put to death if they murdered someone, though. I'd be scared... or at least more scared. The death penalty should just be that. In the end, karma is what it's all about. We'd just be giving it a small push.
Katt C. Lindemann
As Hammurabi's law says "an eye for an Eye"
ReplyDeleteI dont think the death penalty would be considered "cruel punishment"
I dont really like the idea of a man killing 168 people and then just being put into a federal prison with 3 hot meals and a bed to sleep in every day.
I was around Terre Haute when they Executed Timothy McVeigh and from what I remember, the field across the road from the prison was filled with Press and onlookers to see that man die
and I also remember reading that Timothy McVeigh Quietly accepted his death with full responsibility of his actions...apparently He wasnt aware of the Children being in the building and the Guilt got to him eventually...and within his incarceration, I am pretty sure he became ready for his own death...so by the day of his execution, it would have been considered a humane execution.
-Grant Goodwine
I'm on the fence on this discussion. On one side I feel like there should be no such thing as cruel and unusual punishment. When I was in the Army in Kosovo, some of our soldiers were taken captive and they were beaten and abused. There are many ways to torture someone that may be considered cruel and unusual that countries do to us and one way is Chinese water torture. I was trained to stand Chinese water torture. That has to be one of the worse things to go through when being tortured. The way it's done is to tie a victim on his/her back so that you can’t move your arms legs or head. Water is slowly dripped onto your head. For training purposes it is only done for ten minute sessions that feel like an eternity. During the session you are asked questions with a bright light shinning in your eyes, all you can do is reply back your name and last four. I know that lots of people live by the "An eye for an eye" rule. I live by that rule but times I have to remind myself that vengeance is not mine. When I think of my religion it puts me on the other side. That’s when I feel like people need to live with the guilt of their crimes, but spend the rest of their life in jail. I think when capital punishment come into play I support it for people who have committed multiply crimes and murders. I think Timothy McVey should still be alive in a dark room with no human interaction so that he can go crazy with all the souls of the people he murdered haunting him. I feel like the death penalty is an easy way out. In my opinion that is how capital punishment should be done. Maybe include one day a week the Chinese water torture.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the fence on this discussion. On one side I feel like there should be no such thing as cruel and unusual punishment. When I was in the Army in Kosovo, some of our soldiers were taken captive and they were beaten and abused. There are many ways to torture someone that may be considered cruel and unusual that countries do to us and one way is Chinese water torture. I was trained to stand Chinese water torture. That has to be one of the worse things to go through when being tortured. The way it's done is to tie a victim on his/her back so that you can’t move your arms legs or head. Water is slowly dripped onto your head. For training purposes it is only done for ten minute sessions that feel like an eternity. During the session you are asked questions with a bright light shinning in your eyes, all you can do is reply back your name and last four. I know that lots of people live by the "An eye for an eye" rule. I live by that rule but times I have to remind myself that vengeance is not mine. When I think of my religion it puts me on the other side. That’s when I feel like people need to live with the guilt of their crimes, but spend the rest of their life in jail. I think when capital punishment come into play I support it for people who have committed multiply crimes and murders. I think Timothy McVey should still be alive in a dark room with no human interaction so that he can go crazy with all the souls of the people he murdered haunting him. I feel like the death penalty is an easy way out. In my opinion that is how capital punishment should be done. Maybe include one day a week the Chinese water torture.
ReplyDeleteEric A. Shelton
I am for the death penalty. When someone murders someone intentionally then that person needs the same action they did upon someone else. It's only fair. Doing it by lethal injection, electric chair, or however, it should be done. Death penalty is not cruel, it is a proper form of punishment to one who has killed someone. The man who did the Oklahoma City bombings completely deserved the proper form of punishment and the other man should have been given the same form of punishment.
ReplyDeleteAustin Hiday
i believe that the death penalty is appropriate for certain crimes.the obvious one being murder.as the saying goes, "an eye for an eye".in this case it would be a life for a life.the punishment should fit the crime.i believe that lethal injection is a humane way of taking a life, but i don't believe the person found guilty of commiting the crime was humane.this is a little unjust, but it's not right to take their life maliciously, otherwise their punishers would be no better than they had been in killing the victim.there are a lot of factors to consider in whether or not the death penalty is fair or not, but i believe as long as there is no doubt that the guilty party is in fact that, they should suffer the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, this topic is a "double-edged sword." My first thought is that death by lethal injection is an appropriate form of punishment for those who have murdered. However, since technology has become more advanced, allowing crime scenes to be investigated using DNA evidence, some innocent individuals originally found guilty of murder have been released from prison. This makes me uncertain about the death penalty. How many people have been sentenced to death who were completely innocent? The other issue with the death penalty is the way in which the death will be carried out. Lethal injection seems more humane than those who are executed by an electric chair for example.
ReplyDeleteJenna