Author Topic: A Death Penalty Referendum  (Read 8507 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Highlander

  • Lord of the Rings
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 21645
  • Age: 72
  • Location: Dingwall, Ross-shire (God's Own Country)
A Death Penalty Referendum
« on: March 03, 2015, 13:23:01 PM »
The unbearably tragic case of Becky Watts says to me that her killers must, repeat must receive the Death Penalty.

Now whether or not this country should have the Death Penalty has been debated on here many times before.

What I am interested in is whether or not people think that it is high time we had a referendum on this important issue.

If a political party offered me that at the fore-coming general election then I would consider giving them my vote. 



Offline JohnF

  • Administrator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4322
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2015, 13:27:52 PM »
her killers must, repeat must receive the Death Penalty.

Why?

If there was to be a referendum tomorrow I would say no.  Lock people away for a full life sentence, the cost of that simply being an expense we have to shoulder in order to be a civilised country.  If one innocent person was murdered by the state due to a failure of either the political or legal system then that would be one person too many. 

JF

Offline Highlander

  • Lord of the Rings
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 21645
  • Age: 72
  • Location: Dingwall, Ross-shire (God's Own Country)
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2015, 13:33:24 PM »
OK.

But do you consider it is as important a matter that it should rightly be the subject of a referendum.

Offline JohnF

  • Administrator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4322
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2015, 13:37:39 PM »
Yes, sufficiently important that there is no referendum - why take a step back?  All just, in my opinion of course...

JF

Offline Jacqui Harvey

  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11170
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Antiques are Green
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2015, 13:40:43 PM »
I don't believe in the death sentence, so I would be a "No" too.
I do believe that life should mean life.  Once the sentence is passed that is it.  The person will be in prison for life and in cases of a horrific murder like the poor young girl today, I would say solitary confinement.
As I said on F.B. We only have to look at Ian Brady, who now has been in prison since the sixites and all he wants to do is die, but he is not allowed to and is tube fed.  He is suffering and has suffered for many decades and this the way it should be. 
I think the Death Penalty would have been too easy for Brady and years of wanting to die is his ultimate punishment.

Offline Steve A

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1706
  • Location: United Kingdom
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2015, 13:45:07 PM »
Someone murders another person and they have opted out of the normal boundaries of a civilised society so should not be given any compassion or further thought,expense,burden on that society .I for one would vote yes and be first in the queue to do the job ,just my humble opinion of course.

Offline KKOB

  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13570
  • I'm hearing the word.... Nonce !
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2015, 13:59:16 PM »
There should be a referendum, but not on the death penalty. Even though there are a number of individuals who are just not fit to live in a "normal society", reinstating the death penalty would just be a backwards step that makes us no better than the likes of Saudi Arabia and many "Third World" countries that we often criticise for their barbarity.

There are many aspects of the EU that we as a nation would like to "discuss" with those that kowtow to Brussels on our behalf.

We also need a referendum on what should be done with foreign terrorists living in the UK and those returning from "Jihad".

Another one is to decide what we should do for those nationals and foreigners living in the UK who are apologists for ISIS.

How about one on the state of our banks that pay ridiculous bonuses to management and staff for making huge losses ?

Offline JohnF

  • Administrator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4322
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2015, 14:26:27 PM »
...and be first in the queue to do the job

Every time there is a particularly horrific murder, or act of terrorism, the shouts of "bring back the death penalty" are heard, usually followed by Steve's remark of "being first in the queue".  The question I would ask is why aren't you asking for the return of the death penalty at other times?  If it's so important why wait till the various candidates for state sanctioned murder pop up in the press as a result of their crimes, why aren't you campaigning for it when there isn't a horrific crime given prominence in the news?

I can understand the knee-jerk reaction to horrific crimes, for many years I was totally pro the death penalty.  Maybe its an "age" thing, but I've come to realise that its not the answer - even the arguments relating to costs don't add up.  In the western world the only country still killing prisoners is the US and they've come to realise that it actually costs more to kill someone for their crime(s) than it does to lock them up for life. 

Not having a go at you personally Steve, its just you were the first to say you'd be first in the queue.

JF

Offline Steve A

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1706
  • Location: United Kingdom
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2015, 15:54:46 PM »
First in the queue to be first in the queue that's a first !

Offline JohnF

  • Administrator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4322
Re: A Death Penalty Referendum
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2015, 16:21:55 PM »
But there may be others ahead of you, they just haven't said they're in the queue...

JF




Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf