LOL, some moderator deleted my comment, but it looks like they deleted the wrong one!

Independent -- your comment about the death penalty reminded me of a Letter to the Editor we had in our newspaper a week ago. It was actually written by the county sheriff, who was urging people to write to their legislators because the state is looking to get rid of the death penalty, and the sheriff thinks that the "worst of the worst" should be put to death. Years ago I read a book about the topic that made me completely against the death penalty, because there are so many who are innocent who are put to death, and it costs more for the state when someone gets the death sentence because of the costs of appeals. The sheriff's letter made me so mad, and I was thinking about writing my own letter in response to it. It just seems wrong for someone in his position to write a letter like that, especially considering that I've heard stories about how badly he treats the people in the county jail.

If anyone ever has any ideas that the death penalty in America is something we need to keep, here is a chilling statistic to consider------------

"There has been one person exonerated for every 10 people who have been executed in the last 36 years."

Think about it.

rewdiazepam.

From what I have read the cost of keeping an inmate imprisoned for lifetime is almost the exact same cost as the cost of all the legal appeals. The argument for the death penalty that I used to find compelling was its general deterrence effect. That if people saw and heard that John smith killed his wife and got the death penalty it may make others think twice about killing. It would make perfect sense of human beings acted out of intelligent self interest at all times, basically acting like robots, but we don't. We allow emotions to get in the way and that's why the general deterrence effect of the death penalty that it's proponents say is such a big deal really is ineffective.

So on balance if both option cost the same amount of money and both have little to no deterrence, I vote for the way of doing it without killing. Add in innocent people to the equation and I cannot even understand where proponents of the death penalty are even coming from!

The death penalty in America is just morally wrong.

Using anyone's philosophy, it should be clear that it is abhorrent to continue with a policy so rife with errors which may result in the chance an innocent man may be executed.

We have LWOP----Life without the possibility of parole----in most states, and it serves the same purpose as the death penalty without the chance of the ultimate injustice-----executing an innocent man.

Most civilized countries have abolished this barbaric act. It is time for America to do the same.

rewdiazepam

One of my state reps was trying to reinstate the death penalty here. I'm not too fond of him.

Complete agreement Rew, it makes no sense!

So registered....are you lost? Maybe bored? Dont have a life? Why are you here? What do you want? I bet you wont say it. I bet you you have an alternate agenda.

I applaud the rest of you to ignore registered. And thanks to the moderator who deleted whatever.

This is a public forum. I dont believe you are here for the reason we are. Thats ok. Your views and opinions are meaningless to us.

If you change your mind let us know. We are more than willing to support you or help in any way.

About the deterrence factor, I saw a doc where a man was kidnapped, and the kidnapper drove him over the state border because he said the current state had a death penalty and the other didn't, and the criminal had already murdered someone else or something so there was nothing to lose, except getting the death penalty instead of life.

I know this is a rare occurrence, and I'm not saying I support the death penalty. But let's be completely objective, the deterrence factor will occur once in a blue moon. Not that that is a justification for the death penalty per se, it's about finding the best balance, because this idea of perfection will never occur.

(I'm only mentioning this to balance the argument)

I'm remembering more details... This kidnapper said he was going to murder this older couple, but first he was going to drive them to a state that did not have the death penalty.

I was living in Illinois in the late 90s when then-governor George Ryan issued a moratorium on capital punishment in that state - then later, shortly before his term in office ended, he commuted the sentences of those on death row. I thought then - and I still do - that that was one of the bravest political acts by a politician in recent memory. Ryan, who had supported the death penalty, made his decision after several death row inmates were released because they were not guilty of the crimes with which they had been charged and convicted. A couple had come close to being executed. Ryan was harshly criticized at the time from members of both political parties for that action, but he said at the time that after looking at the system he found it was broken beyond repair. The state has sinced scrapped the death penalty.

I think Governor Ryan showed a level of maturity sorely lacking in many politicians...to look honestly at something and say, essentially, I'm wrong.

After he left office, Ryan was sent to prison (as former Illinois governors often are) for charges of corruption dating back to his time as Illinois' Secretary of State. Corruption aside, I still hold him in high regard for his actions on the death penalty.

Joe, there must be something good about Illinois. I remember admiring Illinois' Paul Simon from long ago - can't remember if he was a Congressman or a Senator - and I wish he'd been around longer.

THIS IS A MUST SEE VIDEO REGARDING THE DEATH PENALTY. Follow the link in my post below and watch this video.

This former prosecutor is a very courageous man and for once, I can say I admire a prosecutor. He is demanding an abolition of the death penalty in this country.

I cannot take credit for this link, as SunCloud sent it to me, but it was so heart wrenching that I knew I had to pass it along.

Watch the video. It is very emotional.

http://tinyurl.com/mvg94gk

The death penalty is wrong on so many levels. When we determine life or death on laws passed by imperfect men and allow the death penalty of a man to depend on people who have an agenda to push as many convictions through as possible, it is truly a national tragedy.

This video brought tears to my eyes, and that is difficult to do these days.

rewdiazepam

October, I agree completely about Paul Simon...former Lt. Governor, Congressman and Senator (and presidential candidate). I graduated from the same college he attended (though he didn't graduate - leaving school early to run a small newspaper in Illinois) and had a chance to interview him once...a thoughtful, decent human being.

Hi Reggie,

I live in Nebraska too. My fiance is an SO. He was in Tecumseh for a while during his time in jail. When we heard about what happened we were saddened. Being in prison as an SO can be hard. He knows a couple of lifer's there who kept him safe, thankfully.