The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

2013-03-10T18:22:22-08:00

(Post Voting Period)

Please read everything below before accepting, and remember to post your first argument in round 1. Xboy57 asked me to challenge him to a debate, so I respectfully honor his request.

Full Resolution

The death penalty should be abolished throughout the entire United States.

Definitions

The Death Penalty:  "...the sentence of execution for murder and some other capital crimes (serious crimes, especially murder, which are punishable by death)."[1]

Should: "Must; ought."[2]

Abolished: "To do away with; put an end to; annul; make

Life without parole is worse than the death penalty.

2012-12-23T15:30:56-08:00

(Post Voting Period) Life without parole ultimately fails at both of its aims: -To be merciful (compared to the death penalty) - it keeps people locked up for the rest of their lives, knowing that they will never leave, but does not allow them to remove themselves from the situation, i.e. commit suicide. They will eventually die, and the state will not be sad, but they will have to wait a very long time for it. -To be harsh - It is not as "scary" as the death penalty and appears, to most people, to be a benign punishment in comparison. In this way, it is weak, especially because it fails to be an effective deterrent to crime (even compared to the death penalty, whose effect on crime appears lackluster). Life without parole falls between two extremes, mercy and harshness, and ultimately fails at reaching either of them. The death penalty, in contrast, is more scary - and thus warns criminals a little better - but isn't as torturous. (As a side note, I don't support the death

Abolish the Death Penalty

2011-05-26T12:05:08-08:00

(Voting Period) In my opinion the death penalty in the United States should be abolished because of its current extreme financial costs and the possibility of accidently executing innocents. Executing criminals is not worth it if the cost of doing so is radically more than simply confining them for life and the chance of mistakenly executing an innocent. DNA evidence has already proven some thought to be criminals as innocent. New inventions in technology may also free innocents as DNA technology has, but If they have already been executed it is too late for them to freed. The small deterrence effect of the death penalty is nowhere near effective enough to justify the financial cost of the death penalty in the United States nor the possibility of executing innocent civilians. Report of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice (2008) "Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present (death penalty) syst

The death penalty should be banned from a form of punishment.

2011-03-18T21:03:33-08:00

(Post Voting Period) Ultimately, the moral question surrounding capital punishment in America has less to do with whether those convicted of violent crime deserve to die than with whether state and federal governments deserve to kill those whom it has imprisoned. The legacy of racial apartheid, racial bias, and ethnic discrimination is unavoidably evident in the administration of capital punishment in America. Death sentences are imposed in a criminal justice system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent. This is an immoral condition that makes rejecting the death penalty on moral grounds not only defensible but necessary for those who refuse to accept unequal or unjust administration of punishment. The death penalty gives closure to the victim's families who have suffered so much. Some family members of crime victims may take years or decades to recover from the shock and loss of a loved one. Some may never recover. One of the things

Resolved: A just society ought not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.

2013-05-18T16:51:52-08:00

(Debating Period)

This debate follows National Forensics League LD format. If you are not familiar with it, do not accept this debate!

Voting guideleines will be presented at the bottom. I will try to keep this under 2,000 characters so I can fit my speech in. Formatting will be similar to time, but 1 minute = 1,000 characters. Debaters will be expected to copy+paste speeches into MS Word and provide a word count at the bottom of the speech in order to verify to the judges that the speeches are legal.

Character Limits by Speech:

R1: Terms of debate

Acceptance

R2: AC (aff. constructive) : 6,000 characters

Cross-examination in comments given by negative, questioning aff. Character limit is 1,500 for both the asker and the answerer. This will be done in Q then A then Q then A format until asker hits limit.

Death penalty is the best way

2013-03-26T08:35:21-08:00

(Post Voting Period) Death penalty is the best way to the society.! It is one of the first main argument! But the guiltiness should be proved!!! why guilty people sit in prison and suffer for a whole life, while they can suffer few minutes or hours. It is the best way to all around!!!!!! do not enter the laws and rules... many countries avoid it!! What You will choose... to yourself, to other people???? which way is better alternative?

Why should there be a death penalty?

2012-11-04T10:48:37-08:00

(Post Voting Period) I am going to debate about why there should be death penalty. Personally I am pro for this topic. The main reasons why I believe in death penalty is because- No one who ever received the death penalty ever killed or committed a capital crime again.Life without parole, or any other sentence, is known to be less effective in protecting future victims than the Death penalty. Another important reason is the high costs of keeping prison inmates . On average it costs about $10,000-$20,000 on keeping a single prison inmate per year, this in turn, puts a burden on the finances of the government. It is also a good method to keep people in check. As death penalty teaches people to not mess with the law. :)

The Death Penalty should be categorized as cruel and unusual punishment and should be banished

2012-07-04T11:55:13-08:00

(Post Voting Period) i believe no one shall be deserving of Death, it is Gods decision, The death penalty should be banished forever in every city and every state.

Death Penalty

2012-05-16T18:57:04-08:00

(Post Voting Period) The crimes of rape, torture, treason, kidnapping, murder, larceny, and perjury pivot on a moral code that escapes apodictic [indisputably true] proof by expert testimony or otherwise. But communities would plunge into anarchy if they could not act on moral assumptions less certain than that the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. Abolitionists may contend that the death penalty is inherently immoral because governments should never take human life, no matter what the provocation. But that is an article of faith, not of fact. The death penalty honors human dignity by treating the defendant as a free moral actor able to control his own destiny for good or for ill; it does not treat him as an animal with no moral sense

The Death Penalty

2012-05-07T22:15:59-08:00

(Post Voting Period) The United States has been in a constant state of turmoil for the past several decades. Crime has evolved and from that there have spawned even more types of criminals. It is easier now, than it has ever been for criminals to commit and get away with crimes, and its time that they are 'scared straight' so to speak. Right now there is not enough of a threat to seriously stop criminals from continuing with their illegal actions. America has become too lax in their disciplinary ways and the criminals do not suffer, the upstanding citizens do. We are the ones who are left to deal with these thieves and murderers who sometimes get out of jail in as little as a couple months. We need to collectively, as a nation, crack down on law and give Americans something to be afraid of. The government and its laws, if not abused, are our friends. When we start abusing them and going against them, we have to be punished. By instituting the death penalty on a national scale we ca

Death Penalty

2012-04-01T21:38:49-08:00

(Post Voting Period) Im for the Death Penalty, because many people dont deserve to live on this earth after doing such a violent crimes. Are you for it?

The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

2012-02-03T20:05:08-08:00

(Post Voting Period) By abolishing the Death Penality, these criminal would have to suffer in prison. By being given the death penalty, the criminal does not suffer, only their family does. Although ending these criminals life would be better for the safety of innocent humans, the criminals basically have the easy way out. The only suffering that the Death Penalty causes is simply the pinch of the needle, due to the "Lethal Injection", and the wait while being on deathrow is all the criminal has to deal with, suffering wise. By abolishing the Death Penalty, the criminal does not get to "pay time for the crime" he/she took part in. I feel that these criminals should be subjected to life in prison with no parolle, therefore they suffer in there and have no chance of getting out to live freely as if they were innocent. In addition, if these criminals lived the rest of their lives in prison, it would ensure that they could commit no more crimes against innocent people. Also, perhaps a

the death penalty

2009-11-16T20:38:30-08:00

(Post Voting Period) The death penalty should not be used as a punishment for a number of reasons. The two I will be focusing on in this debate are listed below. 1. The death penalty has the potential to cause the death of innocent people if it is incorrectly applied. The justice system is not without flaws, and suspects are often wrongfully convicted of crimes and later released. In a case where the death penalty is carried out, the penalty can never be reversed. 2. The death penalty is murder. Murder is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought." Therefore, the only difference between murder and capital punishment is the term "unlawfully." The punishment itself is the crime that it is being used to punish people for. 3. Advocates of the death penalty sometimes cite the deterrent effect of the death penalty, but I challenge anyone to find reliable evidence to support this. The types of crimes

Should there be a Death Penalty??

2008-07-23T13:13:27-08:00

(Voting Period) Greetings everyone, I want to discuss the issue of the death penalty. The death penalty is a favorite debate topic and this debate could go either way depending on the arguments. I have chosen to debate against it because I don't believe in taking away lives no matter what the reason. In a nutshell I believe the following: The death penalty is a violation of the most basic human right, the right to live which is also one of the basic principles on which the United States of America was founded. Also such a decision (to execute someone) is irreversible and if the man/woman convicted is found innocent afters his/her conviction he may not be brought back to life. Additionally take into consideration that killing a killer is still considered killing and nobody has a right to do so. These are my arguments for now I'll save the rest for round 2 and 3, right now I would like to hear your response hope its a great one, good luck and enjoy the debate

There should be a death penalty for murderers

2013-01-15T14:21:44-08:00

(Post Voting Period) There should be a death penalty for murderers to deter future murders. The death penalty would deter some future murders because some people who want to commit murder won't do it because they know that they will get killed if they do so. Studies have shown that it deters crime. Most criminals don't want to die. The death penalty should be done in a painful, harsh way so that it would be more likely to deter crime. Some People will be scared to commit murder if the death penalty is done by getting shot with a gun. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/11/AR2007061100406.html

The death penalty, is it A- Morally Right and B- Logically Right

2013-03-22T16:23:19-08:00

(Post Voting Period) Well, my fine future opponent, be prepared for a beating as I am going to disprove the death penalty! A short snappy argument, a short snappy rebuttal (Optional). Rounds are as follows: 1 - Acceptance Round / First Argument From PRO (Cause I'm that kind!) 2 and 3 - Arguments Only 500 Characters!? Oh No! This time, we cut the crap and get straight into the discussion. Good Luck, You'll Need It!

The Death Penalty should be illegal

2011-10-28T07:40:24-08:00

(Post Voting Period) I thank my opponent for accepting this valiant debate that I hope to start. As the topic states, I, pro, am strongly against the Death Penalty based on 2 major reasons. 1. The cost of executing an inmate costs much more than the cost of keeping that prisoner for a life term. Thus, the Death Penalty is extremely inefficient. 2. Killing an inmate as an act of revenge is extremely immoral. Saying otherwise is hypocritical and ignorant. I wish Con good luck, and I hope for a great debate!

Is the death penalty a suitable punishment?

2010-06-08T11:07:25-08:00

(Voting Period) The death penalty is a reasonable and fair punishment, reserved for only the most hardened and cruel criminals. Personally, i believe that if one takes a life without any just cause, they forfeit their own right to live. keeping them in prison simply wastes the government money it would require to feed and clothe them and care for their needs.

death penalty

2011-03-07T15:37:38-08:00

(Post Voting Period) we should get rid of the death penalty for sure

Should there be a death penalty in Canada?

2012-11-26T22:20:08-08:00

(Post Voting Period) My first debate that I've started! My question: Should there be a death penalty in Cananda? First off, I would like to set some rules: 1. Round 1 is for acceptence and the rest of the rounds are for your argument. Round 5 can be for your conclusion. 2. Be friendly! I will try not to offend anyone who accepts my challenge and I will try not to take offense to whatever you may say. If I offend you in any way please tell me in a formal manner so I can apoligize and not make the same mistake twice. 3. Although this is a serious matter please don't be too formal. Lets have some fun with this guys! (3 4. Please be patient! As I said, I am new to this and don't fully know what I am doing. Also please don't take too long to update because I have a tight schedule, being in high school and such. To clear up any confusion I am for the death penalty in Canada (pro).Anyone wishing to take my challenge will be against it(con). Thanks! XD

Debate.org: death penalty Debates

The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

Life without parole is worse than the death penalty.

Abolish the Death Penalty

The death penalty should be banned from a form of punishment.

Resolved: A just society ought not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.

Death penalty is the best way

Why should there be a death penalty?

The Death Penalty should be categorized as cruel and unusual punishment and should be banished

Death Penalty

The Death Penalty

Death Penalty

The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished

the death penalty

Should there be a Death Penalty??

There should be a death penalty for murderers

The death penalty, is it A- Morally Right and B- Logically Right

The Death Penalty should be illegal

Is the death penalty a suitable punishment?

death penalty

Should there be a death penalty in Canada?