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Virginia Repeals The Death Penalty
- Thread Starter justblue
- Start date
Tax Counsel
Well-Known Member
An example of just how blue that once red state has become, thanks in no small part to the rapid growth of northern Virginia, especially around the DC area.
It's not just Dem's that are against the death penalty...both my sister and her husband are Republicans and they are very much against it.
Tax Counsel
Well-Known Member
However, repeal of the death penalty is now one of the priorities of the Democratic party. Biden campaigned on abolishing the death penalty. By and large the states that have done away with it tend to be blue states. See the map of states with and without the death penalty prepared by the Death Penalty Information Center and that becomes really apparent. I have no doubt that if Virginia's statehouse and governor's mansion were still dominated by Republicans that that bill would never have passed this year.
mightymoose
Moderator
On the opposite side of the spectrum are people like myself who advocate prompt and public executions. I don't expect to see that any time soon though.
What happens when the executed are wrongly convicted (which isn't an uncommon occurrence)? "Oops sorry!"?
Mistakes in the justice system unfortunately happen and you can't take back/fix dead.
mightymoose
Moderator
There would be a lot less mistakes to worry about if people had to fear real consequences.
Tax Counsel
Well-Known Member
I'm fine with it in those instances where there is truly no doubt who the killer is. Take the Boulder shooting. The guy was arrested at the scene, inside the store. There is no doubt here that he was responsible. If he is not found to be criminally insane, I'd have no problem giving him the death penalty. However, that won't be an option because Colorado last year did away with the death penalty. IMO life in prison for such a killer is far too light a consequence.
I live in the reddest of the red states and as a state we have never had capital punishment (it was banned in the territory in 1957 before we became a state in 1959). In the early 1990's some lawmakers tried to establish a state death penalty, but they were unsuccessful.
And I am also the opposite of the norm if we look at life as "red vs. blue" - I choose no party affiliation and I identify as progressive and lean toward a more liberal outlook on many things, but I support the death penalty in some cases.
Just more evidence, to my eyes, that in many cases it's difficult to put people and their beliefs and convictions in a box marked "red" or "blue".
Huh? That makes no sense. The death penalty doesn't deter crime, if it did Texas would be a frigging Utopian state.
The death penalty is state sanctioned revenge...nothing more, nothing less. And since the state too often get's it wrong, they are taking revenge out on innocent people.
Tax Counsel
Well-Known Member
No. The death penalty is punishment for an extremely violent criminal act that deprives another of life. All our criminal laws impose punishment for the crime committed. The only difference here is the nature of the punishment being imposed.
Some convictions end up being wrong, which is why I would support the death penalty only in those circumstances where it is not even remotely contested that the accused did, in fact, kill the victims. And yes, there are such cases. To those truly guilty, the death penalty is just punishment for the crime they committed.
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