This is going to get out of hand and heated reaaaal quick

[SuperSuraj]

So i just have a quick slightly controversial question, and its been on other post but it was never really answered....

Why do we as a society choose to defend criminals? and i'm not talking about petty crimes, i mean mass murder, rape, genocide, just extremists in general. What makes them worthy of forgiveness and life in general? while i don't condone killing any human under any circumstance, why do we defend people who have killed numerous people? raped children? or any other heinous crimes? While i agree the death penalty is often overused and inhumane, i feel we spend too much time and money housing and defending people who at this point don't deserve it.

I'm really not a cold hearted revengeful person, but the thought of defending a guilty rapist or mass murder boggles my mind.

[deadpie]

We don't? In fact, America has the biggest BONER for the death penalty and cop shows on television. Count how many police shows you see in two commercial sittings. Wait, is the show you're watching during that commercial have something to do with the police? Hmmmm.

But yeah, America really loves the whole 'let's kill people who kill' thing, just as most people do, but we could at least be rational and not just waste people just because we don't want to spend a little money on possibly helping someone. A lot of people on death row are also innocent.

Also, you need to understand what makes a rapist or killer do what they do. They aren't waking up one day and thinking, "You know, after this cup of coffee and plate of eggs, I want to rape a nice little girl" or "I know I've been worshiping Jesus a bunch lately, but I think killing sounds kind of exciting today."

For the majority of killers, it isn't like that. Be it childhood, illness, bottled up anger, etc... I'm a strong believer that there's reasons why people do what they do and as stupid as they sound there can be something to back that up.

Why do I defend them? Because I also believe any human is capable of killing, raping, becoming a mass murderer, and etc. Yes, somewhere in your heart hides a darkness wanting to be unlocked. Most of us won't unlock it, but some people do.

I would like to hope humans aren't as brutal and fucked up as they are, so forgiveness is a big part of fixing that. If you really want to show how grateful and special of a human being you are, then I'd like you to try to get in the head of a serial rapist, understand his motives, try to see what would help him, then forgive him. Yes, I said that.

I'll say it again - I really like to believe people aren't as fucked up as they seem. No matter how violent and sick you may think they are. Sure, there is some that have no motive and kill just out of the feeling of it, but those people are psychotics. Psychotics don't feel emotion, which makes them insane, so putting a psychotic person on death row is wrong. Mentally ill shouldn't be executed for something they can''t control. Especially if they don't understand what they did was wrong. That's a big part of it all too.

Take a criminology class in college and I'm sure you'll start growing a bigger heart towards people that you thought were the sickest fucks alive. That class will really open your mind to a subject like this.

[Unlucky_Leprechaun]

Innocent until proven guilty that is why.. It's been that way for a long time. Look how many "convicted" felons have been vindicated because of DNA or some other mistake that led to them being incarcerated and think about how many have been put to death only to discover they were wrongfully done so. If it was your relative, I am sure you would want them defended to the max possible. The system gets it right the majority of the time, I won't deny that, but also that small percentage that still needs to be tried and defended IMO.

[Hope4u]

like JMac says..the constitution set up trial by jury because most of Europe at that time did not allow trials at all..it was guilty if accused...there are plenty of innocent people that are accused of a crime on trial everyday...imagine that you were in a car wreck..in that crash you killed someone...and you are now being charged with vehicular homicide..would you like the benefit of a trial..you are guilty..it was your fault..should you be able to explain that it was not on purpose and that you are not a "cold hearted murderer"...I'm pretty sure you would...everyone would want that..that's why we have the system we do...I do agree that truly convicted rapists, pedofiles, mass murderers and such deserve punishment..but only if they are truly convicted of it...not just accused of it.

[Korashk]

So i just have a quick slightly controversial question, and its been on other post but it was never really answered....

Why do we as a society choose to defend criminals? and i'm not talking about petty crimes, i mean mass murder, rape, genocide, just extremists in general. What makes them worthy of forgiveness and life in general? while i don't condone killing any human under any circumstance, why do we defend people who have killed numerous people? raped children? or any other heinous crimes? While i agree the death penalty is often overused and inhumane, i feel we spend too much time and money housing and defending people who at this point don't deserve it.

I'm really not a cold hearted revengeful person, but the thought of defending a guilty rapist or mass murder boggles my mind.
What do you mean by defend? It sounds like you're declaring everyone ever accused of these crimes guilty. The fact of the matter is, they're not guilty until AFTER they're defended.

[CryWolf]

Innocent until proven guilty that is why.. It's been that way for a long time. Look how many "convicted" felons have been vindicated because of DNA or some other mistake that led to them being incarcerated and think about how many have been put to death only to discover they were wrongfully done so. If it was your relative, I am sure you would want them defended to the max possible. The system gets it right the majority of the time, I won't deny that, but also that small percentage that still needs to be tried and defended IMO.

I agree with the Irish dude.

[RoseyCadaver]

We don't? In fact, America has the biggest BONER for the death penalty and cop shows on television. Count how many police shows you see in two commercial sittings. Wait, is the show you're watching during that commercial have something to do with the police? Hmmmm.

But yeah, America really loves the whole 'let's kill people who kill' thing, just as most people do, but we could at least be rational and not just waste people just because we don't want to spend a little money on possibly helping someone. A lot of people on death row are also innocent.

Also, you need to understand what makes a rapist or killer do what they do. They aren't waking up one day and thinking, "You know, after this cup of coffee and plate of eggs, I want to rape a nice little girl" or "I know I've been worshiping Jesus a bunch lately, but I think killing sounds kind of exciting today."

For the majority of killers, it isn't like that. Be it childhood, illness, bottled up anger, etc... I'm a strong believer that there's reasons why people do what they do and as stupid as they sound there can be something to back that up.

Why do I defend them? Because I also believe any human is capable of killing, raping, becoming a mass murderer, and etc. Yes, somewhere in your heart hides a darkness wanting to be unlocked. Most of us won't unlock it, but some people do.

I would like to hope humans aren't as brutal and fucked up as they are, so forgiveness is a big part of fixing that. If you really want to show how grateful and special of a human being you are, then I'd like you to try to get in the head of a serial rapist, understand his motives, try to see what would help him, then forgive him. Yes, I said that.

I'll say it again - I really like to believe people aren't as fucked up as they seem. No matter how violent and sick you may think they are. Sure, there is some that have no motive and kill just out of the feeling of it, but those people are psychotics. Psychotics don't feel emotion, which makes them insane, so putting a psychotic person on death row is wrong. Mentally ill shouldn't be executed for something they can''t control. Especially if they don't understand what they did was wrong. That's a big part of it all too.

Take a criminology class in college and I'm sure you'll start growing a bigger heart towards people that you thought were the sickest fucks alive. That class will really open your mind to a subject like this.

Agree with this 100%.

[HaydenM]

yeh jmac is 100% right. I'm all for the punishment for the crime but you need to prove the crime happened, otherwise innocent people will go to jail and the guilty would walk free.

[Dog Desab]

Yes, somewhere in your heart hides a darkness wanting to be unlocked. Most of us won't unlock it, but some people do.
love this quote.

[slappy]

Well, the death penalty costs a lot more money than to just lock people up for the rest of there lives. On the point of why they are defended, if it is people like lawyers that you are talking about, they just do it for the money. In Florida, as you may have herd there is a woman who killed her three year old child. Not only did she do that, she didn't report her doughtier missing for 31 days because she said she was doing her own investigation when really, she was out with her friends partying whale her daughters decomposing body was in a swamp right down the street from where she lived. Now, the prosecution attorney told the timeline today because that hole time, the little girls grandmother was dying to see her. But her doughter first said she was at "vanny" the nannys house, then she was with her mom and rich friend where in Orlando then they where at a conference, then they where at the beach. That story spanned out for 31 days until the little girls mom Casey said that vanny the nanny kidnaped her. After four months of searching, someone found the little girls body in a swamp. Now, that all comes down to the point that even Casey's lawyers know she is guilty but they just want the money but will defend this guilty woman even tho how stupid the story may be.