For all the opponents of the death penalty....read this

[randhail]

It's also possible to have legit tapes and multiple sources. Not every case will have the level of conspiracy that Fox Mulder encountered.

Maybe I'm just naive for thinking that there are absolutes.

 

[Axver]

Caught on tape, lots of witnesses like in a public place, confession. Like a said, won't occur often but definitely possible.

All of those can be flawed. BVS and I have already addressed the problems associated with video footage. In the case of lots of witnesses, there are two issues: someone with no previous connection to the involved parties may not know the whole context, while those with connections to the involved parties will have vested interests in supporting or opposing at least one party. And a confession can't be taken as absolute: it could have been said under coercion, it could be delusion or trickery (isn't the crazy dude in the JonBenet Ramsey case perfect illustration of this point?), it could be a whole load of things.

Unless you're omniscient, I don't think anyone can claim to be 100% sure of guilt.

 

[BVS]

Maybe I'm just naive for thinking that there are absolutes.

Maybe...

 

[randhail]

Thanks for that!

 

[Liesje]

It's also possible to have legit tapes and multiple sources. Not every case will have the level of conspiracy that Fox Mulder encountered.

Maybe I'm just naive for thinking that there are absolutes.

I love absolutes, I love them a lot, but the problem I have with this issue and the problem that no person I've met who's pro-CP has been able to address is that "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" is still all that is required for a murder 1 conviction and death penalty. So, you and Justin keep using words like "fact", "100% proof", "multiple witnesses", etc...but our justice system doesn't even require that for a death penalty. You're saying that the death penalty should be available under these conditions, but 1) currently the death penalty is doled out for far, far less and 2) these conditions can never be met anyway. In trying to make this absolute, you're only making a bigger gray area....

 

[randhail]

I'm not actually in favor of the death penalty for a whole bunch of reasons - I was just saying that I believe that there can be 100% accuracy, albeit in rare circumstances, which is one of the reasons I don't believe in the death penalty. Sorry if this caused any confusion!

 

[adrball]

...I believe that there can be 100% accuracy, albeit in rare circumstances, which is one of the reasons I don't believe in the death penalty...

Multicam footage, a crowd full of witnesses and a confession. I'd agree to execute but this would be VERY rare. It's just not worth having it as an option when there is a suitable alternative that also meets the objective of protecting the community.

 

[bonoishot]

God that is awful. What a terrible thing to do to another human being, let alone a child. Poor child.

Some people make me really sick.

 

[dietcokeofevil]

Don't kill him.

Send him to a place where he will be afraid to drop the soap for life.

Actually, I don't see a "humane" way of punishing anyone in things like murder.

There is no such thing as a "moral high ground" for either side of this issue.