Democrat’s move prevents these people from executions under future governors, after Christa Pike’s failed execution

Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, has commuted the death sentences of more than 500 people on the state’s death row on Thursday, a move that ensures they can never be executed under future administrations.

The Democrat’s mass commutation at the end of his term has converted all of the state’s death sentences to life without the possibility of parole, the largest clearing of any US death row in modern history.

The move comes after the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee sparked global outrage and renewed calls for a nationwide pause on capital punishment.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 14 points 12 hours ago (21 children)

I'm onboard with this. I'm not necessarily opposed to the death penalty, but our society has demonstrated again and again we are not applying this, the ultimate punishment, equally to everyone across our society. There are large class and race issues that appear to subject some groups to much greater death penalty judgments than other groups.

Unequal justice is injustice. Ban the death penalty.

  • source
  • hideshow 21 child comments
  • [–] 17 points 11 hours ago (3 children)

    I'm not necessarily opposed to the death penalty

    Everyone should be, for a very simple reason.

    It is permanent, there is no way to recover from it once completed.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 9 hours ago

    I am against the death penalty, and for essentially the same reason, but I think, generally, you can't recover if you've been on death row or even just falsely imprisoned for years. If somebody's been imprisoned for 15 years and they turn out to be innocent, they can be released and compensated, but I don't know if they can really recover.

    That's why it's so important to be really certain when doling out any punishment.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 9 hours ago

    I find it interesting that I start with my post about saying I support the banning the death penalty, and I close with the post with my support for banning the death penalty. Yet multiple people are clipping out both of those agreements to focus on the an intermediate disagreement.

    We arrive at the same conclusion to ban the death penalty, but you don't like the first reason why I want it banned. Why fight a battle that is already won?

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 0 points 8 hours ago

    So I'm still for the death penalty on principle. In a perfect world...

    Yet I need to compromise as having no death penalty is to prefered over the possibilty of having people wrongly executed.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 8 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 child)

    I'll try to say something a little more precise, I hope. I have limited sympthy for the individual fate of somebody who does some of the things that can get a person executed, but the death penalty itself is not a good thing.

    I just don't see the value in revenge, and as much as we all feel for victims, the reason you have society make these decisions is because you know victims and their families can't be objective. Maybe some of them will even really feel better, but the rest of us won't. The death penalty can only go wrong, either by being inequitably applied or literally dooming the wrong person to die with no way to salvage what's left of their lives if you learn of the mistake later. Or hell, with recent attempts, it can just literally go wrong and torture someone, maybe even without even killing them.

    Permanent removal from free society is more than sufficient for public safety and deterrence. More blood doesn't bring anyone's loved ones back; it just makes a community that much more grim for indulging its worst instincts.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 0 points 12 hours ago (14 children)

    If you are not opposed to the death penalty you are not civilized, and you are OK with principles that are contrary to democracy.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 14 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 12 hours ago (13 children)

    If you are not opposed to the death penalty

    Did you miss the part where I said "ban the death penalty"?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 13 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 12 hours ago (10 children)

    You also said:

    I’m not necessarily opposed to the death penalty,

    So that's a little fucked up.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 10 child comments
  • [–] -3 points 12 hours ago (7 children)

    It depends on what you mean. We should execute Trump, most of the high ranking officials in his administration, and all billionaires. I'd probably agree with anything else you said about the death penalty though.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 4 hours ago

    Nope, we should not execute Trump, while he absolutely deserve to die, and I'll already have plans to celebrate when he is dead, we should not do the killing.

    There are several reasons for this:

    1. The state should never be in the business of killing it's own citizens, never no matter how terrible the person is.
    2. It would turn him into a martyr and give his people a powerful symbol to rally behind, this will still happen regardless of how he dies, but actively killing him would make it way, way worse.
    3. It would be too easy of a punishment, it is far harsher for a person to be put in a prison like ADX Florence, and have to live in complete isolation than just killing him.
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 12 hours ago (5 children)

    We should execute [insert any name here]

    No, we shouldn't.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 10 hours ago (4 children)

    Ok, I disagree and that opinion is just as valid as yours

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

    I disagree and that opinion is just as valid as yours

    No, it isn't. Worldviews have consequences. The consequences of what you're espousing are an increase in murders and victims of murders, as well as a glorification of violence and death. Your worldview reinforces public bloodlust and disincentivizes rehabilitation. It gives credence to a broken system that's constantly hurting the innocent while enabling (not just ignoring but enabling) the guilty.

    Instead of crowing about how valid everyone else should think your opinion is, try having an opinion that's more than a thin justification for state sanctioned murder.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

    None of what you just said invalidates my opinion. It's just you expounding on your own opinion.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 9 hours ago (1 child)

    Instead of crowing about how valid everyone else should think your opinion is, try having an opinion that’s more than a thin justification for state sanctioned murder.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 1 point 8 hours ago

    I don't care if you agree with my opinion. I've spent zero time trying to convince you of anything. All I'm saying is that you're presenting your own subjective opinion as if it is objective fact and that simply isn't true

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 0 points 12 hours ago (1 child)

    You wrote:

    I’m not necessarily opposed to the death penalty

    Didn't read beyond that, because saying that, it's unlikely you have anything valuable to say.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 1 point 11 hours ago

    Didn’t read beyond that, it’s unlikely you have anything valuable to say.

    Wow. Its not often someone tells on themselves so clearly, but I appreciate that you did. I know exactly how much concern to give your posts now and in the future!

  • source
  • parent