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The family of the criminal also suffers. If my child was a murderer, I would grieve. If my child was consequently executed I would grieve even more. That's an i

by jwdunne 11y ago

The family of the criminal also suffers. If my child was a murderer, I would grieve. If my child was consequently executed I would grieve even more. That's an incredible amount of pain for something I didn't do. After it's said and done, my child would feel no pain. My pain would last forever. I would honestly want to commit suicide over my failure as a parent.

Dylan16807 11y ago
There's also the opposite argument that it gives closure.
- jwdunne 11y ago
  As a parent, there would be no closure in my child's death, no matter what they have done. I look at my 2 daughters and see the most beautiful girls I've ever laid eyes upon. For one of them to commit such a heinous crime would ruin me. For their death to be added on to that, life would mean nothing at all.
  - swombat 11y ago
    I think the parent meant closure for the family and friends of the victim, not of the murderer.
    - Dylan16807 11y ago
      I meant everyone. The murderer is no longer suffering, and there's no longer looming uncertainty as the days tick down toward a date that keeps changing. In certain circumstances death is easier to deal than almost-death. But that's more of an argument to stop death row from being a quagmire, rather than a pro-death-penalty argument. I probably didn't put the comment in the most ideal place.
    - jwdunne 11y ago
      What I'm saying is that the often unconsidered third party is the parent of the executed. That's a pain that will never go away. Is it their fault their child murdered and was executed? No. Will it feel that way? Absolutely. From my understanding, although they may want them dead, the parents of the victim would not benefit from the death of their child's murderer. My cousin was murdered 15 years ago. They would still be broken as they are now if my cousin's murderer was dead. The point is there is nothing worse for a parent than losing their child. Nothing really makes it better. Not even time.
- chrislloyd 11y ago
  There's growing evidence[1] that the death penalty doesn't give survivors much closure. [1] http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5144&context=mulr http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?art...
baddox 11y ago
Isn't that also true of other sentences? Presumably parents would feel pain and failure if their child was given a lengthy prison sentence as well.
- jwdunne 11y ago
  They would but not quite the same as if their child dies.

by jwdunne 11y ago

Dylan16807 11y ago

There's also the opposite argument that it gives closure.

jwdunne 11y ago
As a parent, there would be no closure in my child's death, no matter what they have done. I look at my 2 daughters and see the most beautiful girls I've ever laid eyes upon. For one of them to commit such a heinous crime would ruin me. For their death to be added on to that, life would mean nothing at all.
- swombat 11y ago
  I think the parent meant closure for the family and friends of the victim, not of the murderer.
  - Dylan16807 11y ago
    I meant everyone. The murderer is no longer suffering, and there's no longer looming uncertainty as the days tick down toward a date that keeps changing. In certain circumstances death is easier to deal than almost-death. But that's more of an argument to stop death row from being a quagmire, rather than a pro-death-penalty argument. I probably didn't put the comment in the most ideal place.
  - jwdunne 11y ago
    What I'm saying is that the often unconsidered third party is the parent of the executed. That's a pain that will never go away. Is it their fault their child murdered and was executed? No. Will it feel that way? Absolutely. From my understanding, although they may want them dead, the parents of the victim would not benefit from the death of their child's murderer. My cousin was murdered 15 years ago. They would still be broken as they are now if my cousin's murderer was dead. The point is there is nothing worse for a parent than losing their child. Nothing really makes it better. Not even time.
chrislloyd 11y ago
There's growing evidence[1] that the death penalty doesn't give survivors much closure. [1] http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5144&context=mulr http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?art...

baddox 11y ago

Isn't that also true of other sentences? Presumably parents would feel pain and failure if their child was given a lengthy prison sentence as well.

jwdunne 11y ago
They would but not quite the same as if their child dies.