Death penalty..right or wrong?
Im not usually a blogger but I have to get this out of my system…Im not sure if you all know but recently 2 young aussie convicted drug smugglers were executed by firing squad in Indonesia . Indonesia has the death penalty for drug smuggling…and these 2 young men were trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia to australia. The Australian Federal Police knew what was happening and informed the Indonesian authorities…which meant that they were arrested in Indonesia…hence the death penalty. They could have been let back in to australia and would have served their time here….not been shot by a firing squad but spent their time in jail. I understand all the arguments about they knew what they were doing…they knew it was the death penalty if they got caught …my whole thing with the death penalty is…why does it take so long for it to be carried out? why were these boys in jail for 10 years and then faced the firing squad? why are there so many people on death row in the USA for 30 years and then executed? and does it actually deter crime? obviously not…people are still committing all these crimes…Ive got it out of my system now and I know there is a lot of controversy about this subject.
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As far as I’m concerned, hell mend them.
There were never any claims of coercion, so no excuse there. The assumption therefore has to be that they knew they were smuggling drugs. One must also assume that they knew the penalty for that at their destination.
As regards the time spent on “death row”, well that is required for all the appeals procedures. Yes it takes a long time, but there would be an even bigger outcry if no appeals were permitted.
They went through the full process and at the end sentence was carried out.
I understand that there is a due process…but seriously….10 years? and look at all those people on death row who have been there for 30 years? I know they are criminals…but if there is to be a death penalty…which I disagree with…why does it take so long….these people have been waiting to be put to death for 30 years…how does that deter crime???
I agree 10 years is a long time, but some country’s courts grind that slow.
As far as the 30 year inmates, i think you’ll find they keep getting stays of execution, but our American members may be able to shed more light on that than me
Hello Ozzie, well I have just looked at my grandsons official immigration paper when he entered Singapore, and there stamped on it is, Death Penalty for drug traffikers under Singapore law, and even though I know drugs very often cause death to those who become addicted, and families are ruined because of them I still feel that they should not have been executed………if someone has taken another’s life as in murder, and this is proven without a doubt, then I certainly agree with the death penalty ( not in mercy killings though ) but in the case of these young men I think they should have been spared death……….. I do take your point though Way, but I will say in some of these countries drugs are being pushed at you openly in the street…….my grandson has just returned from backpacking around many of these countries and he had to be quite firm in some of the eating places that he did not want a Happy Pizza, as in one laced with drugs, so maybe they should look towards prosecuting a few of their own people also….and going off track a little, my grandson and two other backpackers had phones, shoes and other items taken out of their lockers in a hostel, these items were taken by the cleaning staff who had keys to the lockers, one of the lads saw his stolen trainers being worn by the staff, they went to the local police who turned them away saying they did not prosecute their own…..I know these people are very low paid and the things they steal are seen as perks of the job, my grandsons phone was taken and he ended up buying another in a back street dodgy shop, he could so easily have been buying his own back…….so many stories to tell you wouldn’t believe, turned off buses because he was white, charged five times as much for goods because he was white………thank goodness incidents like that don’t happen here………
It does seem weird if the Aussie feds grassed them up and they still got killed.
Western countries usually do a deal (all hush hush) so they just get a few years in jail then sent home. When the prisons are full they have an amnesty for the foreign prisoners in most far eastern countries.
I would never vote for the return of the death penalty. But if they were some flash gits selling their drugs on the streets to kids I would wish they died a horrible death like they are pushing on their customers.
The drugs those two lads had, if they got to the streets of Oz would be doing that.
I don’t know how the prisons are in Indonesia but the people sound corrupt.
Someone I know did seven years for drugs in Thailand. $200 a month got him decent food and Massages when he wanted. That was a few years ago though.
Hi Ozz,A complex subject,lets assume they were`nt caught and arrested.Those drugs on our streets could have become a lethal potion resulting in ruined lives,ruined families,family violence,road accident or death,poverty,homelessness,
and ultimately addiction and cause of death or a burden on our medical and mental health resources.But they were caught and arrested and no doubt a small number of potential victims were not subjected to the above,that is a win for our society.
Just another take on this blog, no one asks to be murdered……….but someone who takes drugs are given the choice, no one forcibly shoves them down their throat, up their noses, or sticks needles into their veins, it’s a choice they made, they know the consequences,………I am not justifying drug dealers in any way shape or form………just another view point……..
The thing is that the death penalty is never going to stop any crime…drug dealers are still dealing and murder and all the rest of crime still goes on. I do no condone drugs…but people choose to take drugs and therefore there is a demand for them…
So why do we put people in jail for so many years ? Is it just to punish them or teach them a lesson? Then put them on death row for many years….surely people can be rehabilitated? Otherwise…we may as well execute everyone who commits a serious crime…but we dont…and according to the Geneva convention…drug trafficking is not an offence which allows for the death penalty…it may sound like I am condoning drug traffickers…not at all…they should be penalised….not shot by a firing squad…and as many say…they do not create the drug problem…drug users choose to use drugs and they are not going away because of the death penalty.This is such a controversial subject….but my thought is…the death penalty should be gone…lock them up for life…dont leave people sitting around for so many years and then execute them….it makes no sense!!
The trouble with drugs is (such a nasty business) has such a high monetary value, and we hear so many horror stories. our government has just lifted sanctions with Cuba here in the states, which is known for very wealthy ruthless drug lords. We seem to have become numb to the consequences, unless its on a personal level. I also read that pharmaceutical companies recruit university students to take part in drug trials, how dangerous is this !. Like I said drugs are a nasty business..
as some one once said, hang them high
but dont they sit around in prison, and we foot the bill
I don’t normally comment on these things but I feel so cross. Murder is murder, be it committed by an individual or the State
Then without any deterrent murders will continue……..believe you me, if anyone harmed one of my family i would willingly flick the switch, pull the lever whatever, and wouldn’t turn a hair…….
Yet to see any evidence that the death penalty acts as a deterrent either to cold blooded planned murder by criminals or madmen or off the wall emotional outrages
Is the death penalty a deterrent ?…Dunno.
I could be wrong,but since this lot got nabbed,I havnt heard of any Aussies getting caught, trying to smuggle drugs out of Indonesia.
The death penalty seems fine in principle, for the worst offenders – Problem is that if we get it wrong, there’s no way to fix it after. Does it deter crime? That is a tough question to answer. Most legal systems are flawed, and favour people who can afford fatcat lawyers …..
Who is to say capital punishment is not a deterrent,who knows, without it the crime statistics could be double that of now.
Excuse me if I am wrong, but as far as I know we have less violence and fewer murders here in Europe without the death penalty than in those countries which do have it. Eg. some of the USA States
Yes una..I believe the same thing in Australia…no death penalty here…strict gun laws…a lot less crime than we see in many countries…look at the USA with their right to bear arms…and how often do we hear of mass shootings…and the death penalty deters any of this??? I dont think so..
Jan, 2015, USA Today reported that : Alaska was the nation’s most dangerous state in 2013 and the only state with more than 600 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Alaska has no death penalty! Montana and Utah are the safest states. They have the death penalty.
That brings us to the good ol USA,,,,,pot is becoming legal in more states. takes care of the prison over population by making it legal. In the mean time more lives are ruined by pot. When are we going to see that making another drug ‘legal’ is not the answer. Alcohol is bad enough (I know I am going to piss some people with that statement.) Now at pot to that…When will we see what is happening. I can understand and accept for medicinal purposes, it has been proven to help many. but for recreational use? No friggin way! We have enough addictions to deal with.