Latest poll on Capital punishment

Colpy

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 5, 2005
21,887
848
113
70
Saint John, N.B.
Of course smoking ought to be prohibited. They'd need healthy lungs to work more efficiently and to keep medical costs down.

Personally, I'd make cigarettes free in prison....Export only.......let the bastards gas themselves.........we'll be incarcerating them for a much shorter time....:)
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Shadowshiv, I think you're correct unless the situation arises that Tobacco use
is justified via culture or religion (Natives, etc...).

You post above brings "David Milgaard" to mind...& it took (I think) 36yrs to
straighten that one out....

David Milgaard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I watched a documentary on the Milgaard case about 15 years ago or so. That trial was just so pathetic beyond words. Milgaard had a reliable witness that could verify his location at the time of the murder (a storekeeper who was just opening his store in the morning miles from the murder when Milgaard appeared for a pack of smokes) and the judge wouldn't allow him to testify.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Personally, I'd make cigarettes free in prison....Export only.......let the bastards gas themselves.........we'll be incarcerating them for a much shorter time....:)

Yeah, either that or Players Navy Cut.................................:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
Okay, now we are talking something altogether different - justifiable homicide (some marriages end that way).

Well, technically, if the person was never threatened and was not in immediate danger, then it would still be murder. All I'm saying though is that since the conditions leading up to the murder are not what he's likely to evern encounter again, he's not likely to re-offend, and so we needn't waste money protecting society from him. That being said, he'd still have committed murder and so some kind of punishment would still be needed to dissuade others from doing the same. I figure a lifetime of exile from the city in which he'd committed the murder would serve as a lifetime reminder to him of his the unacceptability of his action, and the potential for a law suit forcing him to pay damages could serve as an added disincentive. From an economic standpoint though, it would still punish him in such a way as to not cost society money and even to repay the family of the victim.

Though such a punishment might seem quite lenient, let's not forget that we'd be dealing with extreme conditions under which he'd committed the murder whereby he was harassed and taunted by the victim to an extreme degree. Of course this does not justify murder and so a punishment is warranted, but seeing the victim was not all innocent himself, that does need to be taken into account.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
Personally, I'd make cigarettes free in prison....Export only.......let the bastards gas themselves.........we'll be incarcerating them for a much shorter time....:)

Why gas them to death when we could get some profitable work out of them?
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
This may come as a surprise to many posters here, but I oppose death penalty. I do not write off anyone because there is always a slight, dim hope of redemption.

However, I do favour making the lives of people like Olsen as unpleasant as legally possible.

We have had this argument before, YJ. You support death penalty in some circumstances. That is not opposing death penalty, that is supporting it.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
This is just a poll and that is all it is, but according to CBC 62% of all Canadians want the death penalty reinstated. (I wonder if Olson's monthly stipend had anything to do with it................:lol::lol::lol:)

Where did you get the 62% figure, JLM? I read the link and 46% oppose the introduction of death penalty, 40% support it. So where did you get this 62% figure?
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Well Colpy, we've been told time and time again by the forum authority on everything that Conservatives like capital punishment, so if their numbers are increasing, I'm surprised that would surprise you. (Or are you questioning the resident authority?) :lol::lol::lol:
THAT would be tantamount to blasphemy.

Did you even bother to read the CBC article where the poll is given? In that it says that conservatives in general support death penalty, supporting my assertion.

"Those who support the reintroduction of capital punishment tend to be Conservative supporters (53 per cent), residents of Alberta (48 per cent),"

That is exactly what I have been saying all along, death penalty is popular among conservatives and among Albertans (the two are really synonymous).
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
We haven't yet passed a bill allowing capital punishment yet but I see no reason not to test the equipment to make sure it all still works. Thank goodness we have the likes of Olson and Bernardo and others just standing around when they could be doing us a great service by volunteering to test old Sparky and the gallows. This equipment needn't be tested more than once a week or so but I understand we have over twenty other institutional guests who have been found guilty of very similar offenses who we could have volunteer as well..

Their volunteering wouldn't do any good. Appeals will be filed immediately on their behalf, whether they want to or not. It will be tied up in the courts for years, the probable outcome being that courts will strike down any attempt to bring back the death penalty. Whether the murderer wants to be executed to not is irrelevant.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
63
We have 'beyond a reasonable doubt' as the test of guilt. Perhaps if there are special circumstances, like killing kids, then the jury could base decisions on first 'beyond a reasonable doubt' which is incarceration, then take a second step to determine if it is 'beyond any doubt' which could be the test for capital punishment.

For example:

Olsen would be beyond any doubt.

Pickton would not, due to other case circumstances, but is beyond a reasonable doubt.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
have a lottery on who will pull the switch
Put it on pay per view and give the money to the victims family

We may hire the Taliban as consultants on this one. Those worthy gentlemen have been out of jobs since they were driven from Afghanistan, they will be happy to lend us their expertise, for a fee.

Taliban used to hold public executions in soccer stadiums. It was an occasion for entertainment, an outing for the whole family. I assume you are suggesting something like that. Taliban, Osama Ben Laden would be proud of you.

I am sure Ticket Master will be happy to sell the tickets for the executions. Schools could arrange field trips to the executions; kids could be given special seats, with good view of the Old Sharkey. They could be quizzed by the teacher to make sure that they were paying attention.

Why, this could even promote tourism. Tour companies all over the world could arrange package tours for executions. Air fare, hotel accommodation, prime seats for the execution. There could be souvenir stalls, T shirts “My parents went to see the execution and all I got was this lousy T shirt”, execution mugs, playing cards etc.

If we hold the executions in economically depressed areas, it would be a big boon to them. You really may have hit on something there.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Where did you get the 62% figure, JLM? I read the link and 46% oppose the introduction of death penalty, 40% support it. So where did you get this 62% figure?

If you'd have been listening to CBC at 9 AM you'd know where I got it- he stated it twice. Your problem is you don't listen and your other problem is you put words in people's mouths. I'm sure Y.J. knows where he stand on the death penalty the same as I do without some ignoramus parroting away.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
If you'd have been listening to CBC at 9 AM you'd know where I got it- he stated it twice. Your problem is you don't listen and your other problem is you put words in people's mouths. I'm sure Y.J. knows where he stand on the death penalty the same as I do without some ignoramus parroting away.

No, I didn't see the program. But I Googled for 'CBC death penalty' and I was able to find the web page where the poll is given. The poll does not mention the figure of 62%. It says 46% oppose introduction of death penalty, 40 % support it.

It also says that conservatives mostly support death penalty, so do Albertans (precisely what I have been saying all along).

And if somebody supports death penalty in a few circumstances (as you do), that is not opposing death penalty, that is supporting death penalty.

You are a conservative but are ashamed to admit it due to some reason. That is why even though you support death penalty, you claim that you don't. Same as you hold conservative positions on a whole host of positions (support death penalty, support privatizing of health care, oppose minimum wage, support Harper, support death penalty etc.) but still insist that you are not a conservative.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Hmmm... I don't quite see how we'd benefit from that. It would be expensive and we know he wouldn't survive already.

I'd say hard labour is probably the way to go if it's life in prison, and if it's death, then firing squad for target practice.

Death penalty is always wrong, no matter what the crime. And at least in Canada, it will remained outlawed at least for the foreseeable future. I don't think Conservatives would want to touch it with a ten meter poll, if they know what is good for them.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
I would vote for Capital Punishment to return, but only in cases where there is no doubt to the crime. By this I mean someone leading authorities to a body(or bodies) that no one BUT the killer would know were there, or if there was videotaped evidence(such as the Bernardo ones). Testimony can be flawed, and sometimes so can DNA(witch hunts, misplaced samples, etc.). There has to be NO doubt at all for this to be a viable option.

In all other cases, it should be life in prison with NO possibility of parole. At least then, if evidence ever comes across that the person was not guilty then they are at least alive(and will likely get a huge settlement).

I also think that their rights should cease once they are imprisoned. By this, I mean they should not get to vote, they should not get pensions, etc. Prison is supposed to be a punishment, after all.

Even when there is no doubt as to the guilt of the criminal (and such cases are few and far between), death penalty is still wrong. It is wrong for government to kill its own citizens, no matter what the provocation. It leads to cheapening of life. If government itself says that life is cheap, chances are citizens will try to imitate the government.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
I would vote for Capital Punishment to return, but only in cases where there is no doubt to the crime. By this I mean someone leading authorities to a body(or bodies) that no one BUT the killer would know were there, or if there was videotaped evidence(such as the Bernardo ones). Testimony can be flawed, and sometimes so can DNA(witch hunts, misplaced samples, etc.). There has to be NO doubt at all for this to be a viable option.

In all other cases, it should be life in prison with NO possibility of parole. At least then, if evidence ever comes across that the person was not guilty then they are at least alive(and will likely get a huge settlement).

I also think that their rights should cease once they are imprisoned. By this, I mean they should not get to vote, they should not get pensions, etc. Prison is supposed to be a punishment, after all.

You have the right idea, Shadow................:smile::smile:

And still you claim that you don't support death penalty?
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Well, if there is hard evidence of guilt, the military is always in need of target practice. ring in the firing squad.
The rifles an soldiers are there already; why waste more money on other killing devices?

You might be able to get away with that in North Korea or in Saudi Arabia, but not in Canada. But then some conservatives (not you) already think that North Korean dictator is a great guy, for standing up to the Earth Hour Nazis. So maybe they have another reason to adore, adulate North Korea and its dictator, death penalty.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
63
In the bush near Sudbury
If there is no shadow of a doubt who the murderer is and there is no hope for redemption, why pay to feed it? It's already proven that it lacks the very essence of humanity.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
We have 'beyond a reasonable doubt' as the test of guilt. Perhaps if there are special circumstances, like killing kids, then the jury could base decisions on first 'beyond a reasonable doubt' which is incarceration, then take a second step to determine if it is 'beyond any doubt' which could be the test for capital punishment.

For example:

Olsen would be beyond any doubt.

Pickton would not, due to other case circumstances, but is beyond a reasonable doubt.

It is not that simple, Kreskin. What does ‘beyond any doubt’ mean? If the accused himself claims that he is innocent, that by itself may raise some doubt. So does that mean that all the accused has to do is claim he is innocent and that negates ‘beyond any doubt’? If that is the case, nobody would get the death penalty.

‘Beyond any doubt’ is not as clear a phrase as you seem to think, lawyers could have a field day with it. They will file lawsuit after lawsuit, keep the process going and the criminal alive. Just look at what happens in USA, the average time a criminal stays on death row before being executed is more than 10 years. We will go down the USA route, where it is more expensive to execute a criminal than to lock him up for life.

Anyway, I don’t think there is any reason to dig up this issue. Crime rate in Canada is low and falling, what we are doing currently plainly seems to work. No political party is going to touch the issue; Charter probably forbids the use of death penalty.

It may be an OK subject to discuss here, but that is where it ends. I don’t see this issue going anywhere.