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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to bring back the death penalty

33 replies

chickensaladagain · 05/04/2013 23:31

at work today on our break, we weren't shirking lol we got onto the subject of the phillpotts and everyone was saying they would bring back the death penalty!

I said I didn't agree with it because
a) mistakes happen
b) how can we, as a society employ someone to kill people
surely that's not a sign of a civilised society?

plus death is too good for some people if they are in prision -in prion they are denied family, friends -freedom

they then started with a great long list of horrible crimes saying 'what about if this happened' and ended up asking me if someone brutaly killed my dcs would I want the death penalty then -I still said no

why does it take so much for them to accept I don't believe in the death penalty?

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 05/04/2013 23:33

YANBU

It's a bit stupid to make murder against the law and then be able to legally murder someone.

And as you say, mistakes can and do happen.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 05/04/2013 23:34

YANBU.

I would however like to see hard labour camps for certain criminals.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/04/2013 23:35

Killing people is wrong. Therefore we shouldn't kill people.

YANBU.

Sirzy · 05/04/2013 23:35

Yanbu. It is wrong on so many levels.

The cost argument people often bring out is rubbish by the time they have had all the appeals and medical assessments and things it works out equally as costly as prison

WorraLiberty · 05/04/2013 23:36

I would like to see all this 'time off for good behaviour' bollocks stopped though.

If someone gets say 5yrs then they should do 5yrs.

If their behaviour isn't good during that time, take them back to court and add extra time on.

mrsjay · 05/04/2013 23:36

YANBU killing somebody for killing somebody is wrong imo, but I think peoples emotions run very high especially when children are involved, I do not think prisoners should get an 'easy time in jail though

LadyWidmerpool · 05/04/2013 23:37

YANBU. The death penalty is not civilised.

mrsjay · 05/04/2013 23:38

I think life should mean life no parole nothing I am not up on the justice system but I can never understand why life doesn't actually mean till they die of old age or whatever in prison,

AgentZigzag · 05/04/2013 23:39

It's an easy thing to say when it's just in your head and will never come about, it's a way of expressing just how disgusted you are at the revolting things people can justify as being 'good things to do at the time'.

I've seen a lot of similar stuff come up on fb, I just roll my eyes and ignore it.

HoppinMad · 05/04/2013 23:41

It really does depend...

Alot of it is emotive talk, esp when kids are involved but if someone ever hurt my dc or nieces/nephews etc I dont know what I would do tbh, I would want them to pay. Knowing they are living, breathing while you bury innocent children who will never live to experience life, how can it be fair?
When you say death is too good for someone who has committed a heinous crime, some may want them to pay in prison, others who believe in the afterlife may want them to pay the price here by death penalty and then also there in the afterlife.

Its a hard one.

mrsjay · 05/04/2013 23:41

you arer ight agentzigzag people are so shocked and disgusted that they say things about the death penalty because they can not believe a human being could do something so bad and deserve to live ( if any of that made sense)

Lueji · 05/04/2013 23:41

You can always ask them if they felt the same if their children had killed someone else's child.
Would they still ask for the death penalty?

Original poster
chickensaladagain · 05/04/2013 23:42

I asked them all if they would be prepared to flick the switch so to speak and none of the would

surely that should tell them something?

OP posts:
lockets · 05/04/2013 23:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LadyBeagleEyes · 05/04/2013 23:42

It's just wrong, that's just my deep down instinct and belief.
I agree with mrsjay, when you have a case like the Phillpots, people get very emotional.
And personally, I think a life sentence for the worst imaginable crimes is the greater punishment.
Otherwise why did Fred West, Harold Shipman, Raoul West and the countless mass shooters like Thomas Hamilton choose death?
And Ian Brady is still fighting for the right to die?

Salmotrutta · 05/04/2013 23:47

Mistakes do happen so no, I wouldn't like the death penalty.

Plus, it's barbaric to do the eye-for-an-eye thing.

However, the primeval bit of me hopes Mick Philpott gets his comeuppance from a couple of big, hard guys in prison...

I know that's awful - but he will be watching his back every day to say the least.
And I'm glad he will live at least the next 15 years in fear. Even if nothing happens to him, he'll always be afraid.

Good I say.

There. I said it.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/04/2013 23:47

Worra it's not just about good behaviour inside. There are two really good reasons for the sentencing for 10 years, serve 5 thing. One is to ensure good behaviour. They wouldn't bother with the time and expense of re-sentencing for bad behaviour so that wouldn't work.

The other is that it is useful for Probation, services, housing and the Police to have people on licence when they leave prison. They have conditions, they can be recalled, they have meetings, eyes are on them. I worked with ex-offenders and we were really unlikely to work with someone who wasn't on a licence. If anything went wrong, what could we do?

BTW isn't Philpott sentenced to life? Which means he can be recalled at any point if he reoffends.

AgentZigzag · 05/04/2013 23:49

Even someone like the executioner Pierrepoint (in the 30/40/50s) who had a kind of 'calling' to the job and was detached and convinced he was doing the right thing, was fucked up by it in the end.

I wouldn't like to live (or have children) somewhere that thought killing people in such a state sanctioned way, was fine.

I do want to hurt the people who hurt children, but such an emotional response shouldn't be let anywhere near the criminal justice system.

jinsymaw · 06/04/2013 01:15

I read a terrible story about a prisoner in Saudi who stabbed someone when he was 15 (10 years ago) rendering his victim paralysed. He has been incarcerated since then and now his fate is to have his spinal severed so that he becomes paralysed unless his family can come up with £100,000(not sure of amount exactly). An eye for an eye and all that. It's stomach churning.

LadyBeagleEyes · 06/04/2013 01:19

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

AgentZigzag · 06/04/2013 01:20

I read about that today jinsy, sickening.

jinsymaw · 06/04/2013 01:39

Isn't it. DM started explaining to my 12 year old that some women (and men i think) are still stoned to death for crimes of infidelity! Biblical brutality. Thanks mother!

HollyBerryBush · 06/04/2013 06:49

Many countries use the 'blood money' system though. japan for one. Lucy Blackmans father took the money (the mother was outraged) so the killer got a lesser crime.

There was another case in Pakistan, where a girl was acid attacked by her ex fiance. She was given the option of the 'blood money' or exacting the same revenge - dripping acid into his eyes to render him blind like she was - she declined and took the money.

The death penalty doesn't particularly work does it? Otherwise the USA wouldn't have the crime rates it does, seeing as they fry people at the drop of a hat. People are still smuggling drugs in Thailand and so forth.

The lure of money will always triumph.

NynaevesSister · 06/04/2013 08:25

I look at all the people who were on death row in the US and were found not guilty after DNA testing came in and proved them innocent. Some had been there decades! I just can't see how anyone can agree with the death penalty.

Chipstick10 · 06/04/2013 08:30

I can totally understand the anger of people when they say bring back the death penalty. If it were my kids god forbid, I would probably say the same. It's sweet justice to know the Ian Huntley is having boiling water thrown at him though for example. And life should mean life. You die in prison.