Front page news in The Sun says 99% of people who voted in their phone poll are in favour of bringing back capital punishment.
Why is it when this subject is raised there is always a deafening silence from the Government and MP's in general?
I believe it is what the majority of people in this country want to see reintroduced which is why the powers that be see it as such a taboo subject.
Why not have a referendum on it?

I think 99% of Sun readers being hanged is a bit drastic Carl but I might vote for 98%. When's the referendum and can we include Rebekah Wade? I'm sure I could set up a "baby murder" conviction for her, like Sally Clark, if an excuse is needed.

The reason there is no referenum on this is because opinions regarding the death penalty depend heavily on emotions which change with the tides. 99% will want hanging shortly after a high profile mass murder story. Fewer will be in favour of it shortly after a high profile story of wrongful conviction. Many people are unable to judge objectively and they rely too heavily on the limited information offered them by the media.

When Stefan Sisko was convicted of a child murder, many people wanted him to hang. Fourteen years later it was established that he couldn't have done it, so those same people were full of sympathy for "that poor man!", and then they were glad that we didn't have the death penalty.

I've conducted an opinion poll this morning and found that 100% of people asked said readers of The Sun should be barred from taking part in opinion polls (as well as being banned from voting) - on the grounds that their simplistic mindset, which is easily swayed, cannot comprehend the seriousness of the issue.

Obviously opinion polls regarding the size of someone's tits are exclused from this ban.

One of the things that lead to abolition of hanging was the jury's unwillingness to convict if the person was liable to be hanged.

Often they moved to the lesser charge of manslaughter to avoid the death penalty. This did lead to an "increase" in convictions for murder after the abolition. Something cited by pro-hanging people to show how effective the death penalty was.

What reason is there to suppose that Sun readers are responding in an intelligent and informed manner anyway?

As I always say in relation to such matters, there are ten good reasons for not bringing back capital punishment. Six of them are from Birmingham and the other four from Guildford.

Come on, where is your vision people.

The lights go out and an drum roll starts, suddenly a beam from a spotlight centres on vernan kay (ladeez and gentlemen, welcome to 'who wants to be an executioner', the show where you decide whether they live or die)

It would be a massive hit and the worldwide franchises would make a fortune! (think how china would pick up the ball and run with it).

You would have the same problems no doubt (it was found that 12,000 votes had been paid for whist the body was already swinging, the DTI are demanding a refund for the wronged potential executioners).

Who's with me? we could start a petition to the government in the super soaraway sun.

MC MC wrote:
As I always say in relation to such matters, there are ten good reasons for not bringing back capital punishment. Six of them are from Birmingham and the other four from Guildford.

and don't forget the seven who were in the McGuire family !

I think that figure just about sums up the **ahem** intellectual qualities of The Sun's readership.

Enough said basically...

My eleven year old cousin was asked if there was any circumstance where the death penalty should be applied. His answer was "Maybe mass murder, but the way the laws are these days, totally screwed up, maybe it's not a good idea at all."

Maybe reading Marvel comics helps develop your intellect more than reading The Sun.

Al wrote:

Maybe reading Marvel comics helps develop your intellect more than reading The Sun.

Al,

Why do you express surprise at this statement ?

I'm sure that if a referendum had been held at any time since its abolition, there would always have been a majority in favour of the death penalty, and you can't just blame Sun readers for that.

This is why I have always been against referenda. It's democracy at its purest, but worst. If you start letting the majority rule on every issue, we're all off to hell pretty damn quickly.

Capital punishment is about the only subject on which I respect our politicians, in steering away from public opinion. To my way of thinking, it isn't even a matter of opinion. Killing is wrong, and if anything, state sanctioned murder is worse than murder committed by the insane, unbalanced, amoral, and downright evil. They know no better.

How can you take this seriously?

The Sun editor just makes it up as he goes along.

Anthony wrote:
To my way of thinking, it isn't even a matter of opinion. Killing is wrong, and if anything, state sanctioned murder is worse than murder committed by the insane, unbalanced, amoral, and downright evil. They know no better.

So basically what you are saying is that ANYONE who committs murder has a reasonable excuse for doing so?

What a load of rubbish!

Apart from a person who is criminally insane there is NO EXCUSE for one human being killing another.
As for them not knowing any better I have never heard such bollocks in my life.

Carl says... "Apart from a person who is criminally insane there is NO EXCUSE for one human being killing another.
As for them not knowing any better I have never heard such bollocks in my life."

You're with us, Carl - and we all believe the worst and most cowardly murderer is someone who asks someone else (the state) to do it for them.

99% is just ridiculous...even at best since abolition the real figure would have been around 70-75 %...don't know now,but would expect it to be a majority,though reduced from its early 80s height.
Still democracy should mean we bring back the death penalty...now I am in favour,but only if the convictions are safe...of course this could not be the case at the moment...but wait...nothing like a few state sponsored executions to draw public attention to the injustices in the system...weird logic...but it was public concern at the legal system in the 50s/60s that lead to some tempoary improvements in the 60s/70s.
At this time there was widespread concern about police abuse,died down with Thatcher of course...but one good execution,later proved false would open up this Bedlam that claims itself as the sword of British justice.
But back to democracy,politicians would better serve listening to public opinion,warts and all...the public will soon change their opinions when reality proves it wrong.

Carl wrote:

So basically what you are saying is that ANYONE who commits murder has a reasonable excuse for doing so?

What a load of rubbish!

Apart from a person who is criminally insane there is NO EXCUSE for one human being killing another.
As for them not knowing any better I have never heard such bollocks in my life.
I said no such thing, basically or otherwise. Anyone who is a danger to society needs to be locked away, but I don't want to damage my soul by longing for anyone's death, even if they have murdered, and nor do I wish to live in a country where two deaths are better than one.

Front page news in The Sun says 99% of people who voted in their phone poll are in favour of bringing back capital punishment.
If 99% of the people are in favour of bringing back hanging, why do these people just sit back and do nothing, just like the MP's in Government! Who these same MP

Doyen wrote:
[quote]
If 99% of the people are in favour of bringing back hanging, why do these people just sit back and do nothing, just like the MP's in Government! Who these same MP

Carl wrote:
Anthony wrote:
To my way of thinking, it isn't even a matter of opinion. Killing is wrong, and if anything, state sanctioned murder is worse than murder committed by the insane, unbalanced, amoral, and downright evil. They know no better.

So basically what you are saying is that ANYONE who committs murder has a reasonable excuse for doing so?

What a load of rubbish!

Apart from a person who is criminally insane there is NO EXCUSE for one human being killing another.
As for them not knowing any better I have never heard such bollocks in my life.

Carl, I think you talk rubbish. First of all I don't consider anyone who can get in the frame of mind "that person is annoying me, I'll kill them" is clearly NOT sane, neither is someone who kills for enjoyment. Murder should be punished, but Britain got rid of the death penalty a long time ago, thank goodness! How many innocent people who are falsely convicted die in countries that carry the death penalty? Whatever the amount be it 1 or 1,000 it is too many. I'd rather a thousand killers spend their life behind bars, than one innocent person die because they were falsely convicted! As for a referendum on the issue, what a great idea! Nothing like asking the public to address such an important issue during their lunch hour!

Make sure (of course) the question "would you feel comfortable with someone wrongly convicted being excucuted in error" is included, just to remind people that this will happen at some point if we bring back the death penalty. If the majority answer "yes" to this question then all other factors should be null and void!