Death Penalty for Nikolas Cruz

[_DoubtingThomas]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/us/n ... nalty.html

Give Nikolas Cruz the death penalty only if he has some serious psychiatric disorder. Why? Because I see the death penalty as an act of mercy.

Life in prison is far worst than the death penalty. With the death penalty he only gets a quick and painless death. If he gets executed, Nikolas won't get old and won't die of some painful cancer or something else. It is true Nikolas is probably more afraid of the death penalty, but being afraid of death is natural. We humans evolved to be afraid of death. It doesn't mean the death penalty is somehow a more severe punishment. Why are judges and law-makers so stupid?

Is there someone here that agrees with my view? Or am I completely alone with some strange way to look at things?

[_MeDotOrg]

Society struggles between the impulse for revenge and rehabilitation. Is it better to have someone suffer or be rehabilitated? To me, the best of all possible worlds is not one where Cruz is in agony for the next 5 decades, but one where he would go through the process of coming to grips with what he did, and dedicate his life to serving the prisoners around him. A human life killed is a human potential wasted.

[_Xenophon]

I oppose the death penalty mostly because of the inaccuracies within our current justice systems. There are far too many instances of wrong convictions for me to be comfortable with the idea of executing someone. I also suspect that even if the justice system was 100% accurate, guaranteed, we would probably still over-apply the death penalty but that may just be indicative of my experience as a Southerner.

As MeDotOrg points out, rehabilitation should obviously be the first and foremost goal.

To the idea of "Life in prison is far worst than the death penalty". I think that is belied by the fact that a fair portion of death-row inmates spend the majority of their time trying to get off death-row and serve life sentences. If it is the punishment one opts into, I don't see how it could be considered "more severe" (masochists aside). Even behind bars, being alive is a favorable condition to death, IMHO.

[_Markk]

Society struggles between the impulse for revenge and rehabilitation. Is it better to have someone suffer or be rehabilitated? To me, the best of all possible worlds is not one where Cruz is in agony for the next 5 decades, but one where he would go through the process of coming to grips with what he did, and dedicate his life to serving the prisoners around him. A human life killed is a human potential wasted.

The guy wouldn't stand a chance in general population...he will be in isolation for the rest of his life, whether death by injection or of old age in a cell.

I think the parents and families of the kids and teachers that lost loved ones should decide, and I would be good with either decision.

I understand that it could never happen here, but I think that would be the best solution. Who could blame the family member for any decision they made.

[_ajax18]

I think the parents and families of the kids and teachers that lost loved ones should decide, and I would be good with either decision.

Don't some middle eastern cultures allow the victims families to take vengeance? They also get to choose the method of execution.

[_DoubtingThomas]

To the idea of "Life in prison is far worst than the death penalty". I think that is belied by the fact that a fair portion of death-row inmates spend the majority of their time trying to get off death-row and serve life sentences. If it is the punishment one opts into, I don't see how it could be considered "more severe" (masochists aside). Even behind bars, being alive is a favorable condition to death, IMHO.

It is a good point, but we humans evolved to be afraid of death. However, it is my understanding that suicide rates in prison are very high.

If death is the most severe punishment, then why do most mass shooters end up killing themselves?

[_Dr. Shades]

Life in prison is far worst than the death penalty.

No it isn't.

With the death penalty he only gets a quick and painless death. If he gets executed, Nikolas won't get old and won't die of some painful cancer or something else.

You can say that about the rest of us, too.

[_DoubtingThomas]

No it isn't.

I will be open minded. Why? Is the death penalty worst because we humans in general are afraid of death?

[Guest]

No it isn't.

Is the death penalty the worst punishment for Muslim terrorists who want to be martyrs for God?

[_Markk]

I think the parents and families of the kids and teachers that lost loved ones should decide, and I would be good with either decision.

Don't some middle eastern cultures allow the victims families to take vengeance? They also get to choose the method of execution.

I worked with a middle eastern guy years ago, and I asked him how they would handle a convicted murderer...I think is was during the OJ trial or similar...he said “Mark (roll the R) a bullet it is 25 cents.”

It would be an interesting search to see ho wither country’s handle a death penalty.