Alternatively, in the old school way, he who passes sentence could swing the sword...
I personally think the death sentence should be sparingly used, but some crimes warrant it. Capitol punishment is neither cruel nor unusual. The Constitution states explicitly that no person can be deprived of life
without due process of law. That is not a bar to capital punishment. But if such due process is carried out and the penalty is applied, it should be swift. Hanging and the firing squad both work. I can't not understand why we can humanely and routinely put down animals out of mercy with lethal injections, but can't seem to do the same for people.
Update:
Why not pass a constitutional amendment banning the death penalty,
both pre and post natal?
More from Lem's Place
Wombat :
You know nothing something Jon Snow?
TOM:
Executions are brutal savage events…
Instapundit/Byron York
I think the only way to speed things up would be for courts to summarily reject all appeals. I mean, it's not like there's some big backlog bc of a shortage of executions, AFAIK.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I don't get about this argument. If executions are delayed for years bc of appeals by the convicted, how is that cruel?
I don't get it. Actually I do get it, most of the arguments are disingenuous. They want to ban the death penalty and any means of doing that is fine (death of the death penalty by the death of a thousand cuts). That is why you end up with arguments that don't make sense close up, you have to back up a bit to see the overall strategy.
DeleteMy prior comment should read "shortage of executioners", not "executions".
DeleteI agree w/ your analysis of the strategy, Evi. Apparently our judicial elite can't stand the fact that ordinary Americans still support the death penalty.
Perhaps we should consider a constitutional amendment requiring an extra-high standard of proof of guilt, plus the heinousness of the crime, for death sentences. Like, DNA evidence establishing a one-in-a-million chance of innocence in a case like that horrific double murder in Knoxville a few years ago.
Not sure how you'd write that amendment, tho. OTOH, it'd be easy for one of our innumerable activist judges to decree.
The left hates democracy and representational republics. Anyone who supports the death penalty must be a H8ey H8er, and arguments about preventing future murders (either if they get out or in prison) seem to fall on deaf ears. I am all for making the death penalty for the worse of the worse. I am not for offing every felon like they used to do in England in the 19th century, but there are some people that we would be all better off if they were gone.
DeleteWhat is ironic is they get so bent out of shape over killing murderers, but seems they would willingly "off" pro life people for having the temerity to suggest abortion should be restricted.
The quick way is Babi Yar.
ReplyDeleteA pit, one shot behind the ear, they fall in.