Since I first managed to get figures directly from the Home office in 1975 to examine murder rates, I have known as an absolute fact that the death penalty deters a great many murderers. If you think about it - how could it not? Tough punishments deter.
[If you park where you know you shouldn't, you face a small fine and may risk it. Honestly. Would you risk it if your hand were in danger of being cut off? - QED.]
Murder is little different.
Hanging was abolished in 1964/5 when there was a steady murder rate. In the first year, capital murders shot up by more than 126%! [Sunday Times report].
In the first ten years after abolition, more police officers were murdered than in in the whole of the rest of the century to that point AND the whole of the 19th Century too!
I draw your attention to the links below which look at the FACTS in Texas et al. Texas is a very good example of what can be achieved.
There is a visceral hatred of the death penalty by many who frequently hide behind the non argument that there will be mistakes made.
We have appendectomies where people die due to surgeon error but I have never heard the same argument levelled in this situation.
Shouting 'barbarity', 'revenge' etc does not work as logic. Christians, please read Genesis 9 - God clearly gives Man the right [or is it a duty?] to execute. Christ NEVER took away society's right to execute.
Incidentally, legitimate execution is retribution and not revenge. The former is NEUTRAL, the latter PERSONAL - a massive distinction.
I have read so many anti-capital punishment diatribes I am stunned by how illogical they all are; how many will deliberately twist facts; how they will take the guilty and make them into 'martyrs' and how their facts are so selectively chosen.
Let the public have their say! The politicians have wanted abolition and will not admit the depth of failure.
My view? - It is morally repugnant for any society to say to its people, "You may kill whomsoever you choose and your own life may NEVER be forfeited."
How do abolitionists care so much about the guilty and so little about the extra victims? It is hardly compassion, is it? They HAVE to convince themselves that the death penalty doesn't work - in the face of all the evidence.
Please read these FACTUAL links below - they are quite staggering!
LINKS: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby060702.asp
http://www.ncpa.org/bothside/krt/krt030200b.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,280215,00.html
