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Trump and the death penalty

(89 Posts)
Cossy Sun 07-Jun-26 12:22:55

From The Mirror this morning.

These people are already on death row, how do you all feel about the below:-

“US Army prepares for first military executions in 50 years awaiting Trump order
The US Army is drawing up plans to carry out four military executions of death row inmates for the first time in more than 50 years, pending approval from President Donald Trump.

The US Army is preparing to conduct four executions should President Donald Trump issue the command, according to an internal planning document seen by ABC News.

The plan, if implemented, would represent the first occasion the military has executed convicted American prisoners in more than half a century. "Operation Resolute Justice" instructs Army officials to liaise with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to move condemned inmates from the US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to the federal execution facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.“

Personally, I simply don’t agree with the death penalty, however horrific the crime, it doesn’t act as a deterrent and I, imo, just find this act quite ironic, committing a murder to punish a murderer for breaking the law by murdering someone? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I do believe some crimes mean that individual should never be free to walk and work alongside the rest of society.

What do you fine folk think and feel about this?

Perhaps a better option is to give these criminals the opportunity to choose between whole life imprisonment, with some form of work being done or the means to take their own lives?

www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/us-army-first-military-executions-37259419?utm_campaign=communities&utm_medium=social&utm_source=whatsapp

MissAdventure Sun 07-Jun-26 21:37:13

I support the death penalty.

Macaydia Sun 07-Jun-26 21:44:25

What are the alternatives and are the alternatives more humane?

MollyNew Sun 07-Jun-26 22:11:31

MissAdventure

I support the death penalty.

For what offences?

MissAdventure Sun 07-Jun-26 22:15:38

The very worst, only.
Abduction and killing children, the kind of crimes committed by fhe Wests, The moors murderers.
Sustained torturing of victims, the crimes committed by ian Watkins. .

MayBee70 Sun 07-Jun-26 22:55:54

My father in law had to preside over hanging. That’s all I’m prepared to say other than I’m totally opposed to the death penalty sad.

Wyllow3 Sun 07-Jun-26 23:06:03

🤬 Trump is all, what people say.

No, I could not support the death penalty tho at times I have felt like it. It's not just the risks of mistakes, nor even whether its a deterrent.

Its being a society that is potentially - a government like Trump can come in and can change the laws bad enough already once we accept the principle: meeting violence back with violence, is it good for us all?

Macaydia Mon 08-Jun-26 02:06:11

Norway's prison system appears to have less repeat offenders than other countries.

imaround Mon 08-Jun-26 02:15:49

I had heard that the Federal Government was trying to go back to firing squads, gas chambers and electrocution as well.

Barbaric.

He can choose one of those when he is convicted and sentenced.

(Though I see the the Tech Billionaires (Theil IIRC) are starting to move to Argentina.)

FWIW, it cost more to put someone to death in this country than to keep them imprisoned for life. 2.5 x 5 times more, in the millions of dollars per person.

Maremia Mon 08-Jun-26 07:02:20

Think of all the people who have been wrongly imprisoned.
If the death penalty had been used, they would have had no recompense.
Think of some of the reasons why 'criminals' are executed in other countries.
Women, for adultery, men for homosexuality.
I don't agree with the death penalty.

Chocolatelovinggran Mon 08-Jun-26 07:03:41

You are correct, Macaydia. The USA incarcerates more of its' citizens pro rata, for longer, and with dismal recidivism results.
Perhaps they could learn from Norway?

Ladyleftfieldlover Mon 08-Jun-26 07:20:26

I do not support the death penalty. For the most dreadful crimes such as the murder of children, round the clock solitary confinement would be fitting. I believe that the USA is the only civilised country in the world to have the death penalty.

It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that trump is now certifiable. He knows the midterms in November will go badly for the Republicans and he can’t have that.

Did anyone see the interview he gave yesterday which he walked out of? After being incredibly rude to the female interviewer.

It is going to take many years for the USA to recover from this dreadful man and his acolytes.

Maremia Mon 08-Jun-26 07:34:54

That appears to have been tbe first time a Reporter pushed back.
Maybe it could happen more often?

Macaydia Mon 08-Jun-26 07:51:13

What about the death penalty for the murder of children - if a child under fifteen commits a murder and then is held accountable for life. Is that a fix for a son not being raised properly with particular values instilled by responsible parents?

In the US, the majority of those being murdered by "The Penalty" are of African ancestry. Is this the alternative motive that you were speaking of, Maybee70 and foxie48. The US laws criminalise dark-skinned people. imaround can agree on this. Is this a supremacist movement to win more Protestant votes?

Yes, even those families who have experienced psychotic mental actions that have tortured and killed their loved ones are not incapable of forgiveness. Though I have met some who are not.

Murder of a defective human is barbaric. The UK has been preaching this for decades. Emotions aside, it is not the correct way to move forward in a civilised society.

MayBee70 Mon 08-Jun-26 13:33:09

It isn’t just the people that have to do the execution that may be traumatised. What about the jury knowing that their decision will result in an execution. I think I read once that if there is a death penalty a jury is more likely to veer on the side of caution and give a not guilty verdict, even if the person on trial is probably guilty but there is a very slight element of doubt.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 08-Jun-26 13:39:33

I found Hegseth speech at a Normandy last weekend, one of the most appalling speeches I have heard in a long while.

valdali Mon 08-Jun-26 13:40:56

Basgetti

Bit behind on the news, read your thread title and immediately thought, to quote the marvellous Fred MCCauley, “what’s the mad b*****d” done now?”

Nothing that lunatic does surprises me any more. He must be making life very difficult for satirists. Nothing they can say will top him.

& if satirists try, he takes it personally & pulls every string he can see to get them cancelled.

jakuss Mon 08-Jun-26 13:49:47

Good, time we brought it back

mokryna Mon 08-Jun-26 13:51:04

At least one man on death row has been proved innocent Freed after 22 years.

grumppa Mon 08-Jun-26 14:01:31

At the time of the capital punishment debates in the UK, in 1961 Penguin published two books, "Hanged by the Neck", which put the moral case for abolition, and "Hanged in Error", which focussed on a number of cases where innocent people had been hanged. Together they were very convincing.

Maremia Mon 08-Jun-26 14:03:18

What 'good' does the death penalty do?
Compare our crime stats with the USA.
They have the death penalty.
Has it made any improvement?

rafichagran Mon 08-Jun-26 14:03:21

mokryna

At least one man on death row has been proved innocent Freed after 22 years.

Yes, that's what bothers me. I flounder in my beliefs. If I see a particularly heinous crime. I hear myself saying they should get the death penalty. This does not make me any better than them though. Its a revenge thought.

TwiceAsNice Mon 08-Jun-26 14:15:41

I too am against the death penalty. Nobody should have the right to take another’s life regardless of circumstances.

However I think if convicted of murder you should die in prison , no cushy parole after a few years. Your victim didn’t get another chance

butterandjam Mon 08-Jun-26 15:11:07

Macaydia

Why are the methods for a death penalty execution different than methods used for assisted suicide?

Probably because assisted suicides volunteer to die, and agree to do it themselves when provided with the means.

Unlike convicted criminals on death row.

Susieq62 Mon 08-Jun-26 15:21:56

I totally oppose the death penalty because, to me, it is the equivalent of murder! Too many times I have read that the convicted person has experienced a most dreadful death as the method chosen did not work effectively.
Also, people have died who were found innocent of the crime they were convicted of.
I wonder if the people chosen to effect these executions will volunteer or be chosen? Trump is getting beyond belief.

Maremia Mon 08-Jun-26 17:06:29

Yes, the chances of the accused being given an incorrect verdict of 'innocent' could increase if Jurors were faced with condemning someone to death by giving the verdict of 'guilty'.