Subj : Gun Control reasons
To   : The Lizard Master
From : Angus McLeod
Date : Fri Sep 02 2005 09:47 pm

  Re: Gun Control reasons
  By: The Lizard Master to richardw on Fri Sep 02 2005 09:51:00

 > I stil don't understand how the death penalty will deter people from killing
 > people.

AFAIK, it functions in two ways:

1)  It remove a particular killer from the scene, ensuring that (s)he 
    don't do any more killing.  A fool-proof deterent, IMHO.

2)  It serve as an example/warning to other would-be killers, as to what 
    they can expect to happen to them if they actually do kill.  For this 
    to be a reasonable deterent, the chance of execution would have to be 
    high.  It doesn't serve as much of a deterence to others if only one 
    in every 10,000 convicted murderers is executed.  Those might be 
    considered acceptable odds by too many would-be killers.

---
 þ Synchronet þ Debatable wisdom from The ANJO BBS

.