jarledb:

 

There are so many problems with the death penalty.

 

If we for a moment ignore that US states without death penalty had lower murder rates which clearly shows that the death penalty is not a deterrent for violent crimes.

 

The main problem with the death penalty is that our justice systems aren't perfect.

 

Innocent people actually get convicted for serious crimes. That also means that innocent people will get killed for acts they have not committed.

 

It is also a problem that the death penalty typically affect the poor and minorities more than others.

 

You should take the time to read Amnesty's page on the death penalty if you want to learn more about the problems with the death penatly.

 

That said, most people advocating for the death penalty seem to want it for the punishment. Which makes no sense, if punishment is your goal - the punishment ends when someone dies. If you want to give them a good punishment, wouldn't it make more sense to let them live out their lives behind bars?

 

Just like when discussing firearms, I think the US is an utterly terrible example when it comes to capital punishment as well. Realistically the death penalty is never likely to return to NZ, but if it were going to there would need to stringent measures in place to ensure that the chance of an innocent person being killed was minimal. I think a realistic minimum is either "caught in the act" or DNA evidence.

As for punishment, I don't see the death penalty as a punishment at all, simply as a way of protecting the masses. It's certainly quicker and less traumatic than the lifetime of PTSD they'll have left behind.