The recent abduction of two young boys in Missouri reminded me of something I really believe in. I think we should have the death penalty for pedophiles. I also believe we should push this at the same time we push Death Penalty Reform. I believe there should be a death penalty (in principal) but much of how the death penalty is currently carried out troubles me.
Although in principal, I support the death penalty some needed reforms of the Death Penalty are in order.
- Minimum standards for what a person facing the death penalty should expect from a defence lawyer. No more sleeping lawyers on Texas death penalty cases. If someone is going to be convicted of a capital offense the standards need to be raised.
- Full funding of a Nation Wide DNA database for all people convicted (not arrested) of criminal offenses. The fact that Illinois had to suspend the death penalty because the had
We have now freed more people than we have put to death under our system -- 13 people have been exonerated and 12 have been put to death," former Gov. Ryan told CNN (in Jan 2000). "There is a flaw in the system, without question, and it needs to be studied."
- Better Standards for what cases merit the Death Penalty. The evidence is overwhelming that prosecutors are most likely to seek the death penalty when a Black Man kills a White Person. The RACE of the perpetrator and victims is a stronger indicator of a person getting the death penalty then the number of victims killed! Only poverty is even a close second indicator of who gets the death penalty.
So why do I feel Pedophiles deserve the death penalty? I believe this for the following reasons.
- Sexual deviancies are almost never curable. What people desire sexually is so deeply rooted in a person psyche that the rate recidivism in sexual offenders is extremely high. If a person can’t be cured from a criminal deposition shouldn’t they merit the death penalty more then a person who commits say gang violence? Removing a gang member from a violent area is far easier them removing a sexual predation from a pedophile.
- Children (by children I mean pre-teens) never ask for sexual attacks, on the other hand very few people in the US were ever forced to take drugs. Yet drug related violence is far more likely to lead to death penalty cases then pedophile related cases.
- Pushing for the death penalty in the case of pedophiles would give the political cover to enact much needed broader death penalty reform. Many politicians are afraid to push for overall death penalty reform because they are afraid of being seen as weak on crime. Even Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia a noted Death Penalty opponent had to promise to "uphold the law" to get elected. The problem with reforming the death penalty is that a politician will only be able to do so if they are seen as having tough on crime bonafides. I think expanding it to pedophiles would allow an opening for reforms in other areas.
I know talking about the death penalty is in some ways opening up a can of worms. But I don’t think it has been debated on Daily Kos for some time. So where so you stand on the death penalty for pedophiles?
