# Why does the U.S still have the death penalty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 26, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102 "2014-07-26T16:09:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EndlessEntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f9ae1b/32.png) [@EndlessEntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EndlessEntropy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/1 "2014-07-26T16:09:20Z")
Except for Belarus, the number of European countries with the death penalty is 0. Aside from Japan, the U.S is now in the same club as China, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Isn’t that a worrying fact and a sign that maybe something is wrong? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/2 "2014-07-26T16:13:37Z")
Because we are a very backwards and uncivilized country. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/3 "2014-07-26T16:19:12Z")
Revenge seems to be very powerful in our culture. There is also the eye for and eye, life for a life crap a lot of people believe in. We will probably start televising them before we get around to stopping them. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/4 "2014-07-26T16:22:58Z")
It is because the USA has a history of massive over-reaction to crime frompot smoking to multiple murder. It is not just the matter of judicial killing, but also the misuse of incarceration. One in 20 people in the world is American. One in four (A QUARTER) of the entire worlds prisoners are in the USA. Nations have cultures. The USA still includes features removed or reduced by other countries- an extreme of vengeance, lack of compassion, blindness to how others do things. Some call it part of American exceptionalism. the sad thing is that they are surrounded by examples of why such an obtrusive and cruel criminal justice system is a voluntary choice and not a necessity, and yet are collectively unable to make the intellectual and emotional leap to what could be done. Truly moral and intelligent polities look at other ones and ask why things that they do are not done elsewhere; unfortunately this is just not part of the American psyche where there is a belief that The USA is God’s own country where everything is done better and more morally than other lesser nations, and consequently has nothing to learn from other places and peoples. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/5 "2014-07-26T16:33:55Z")
Sorry. As long as Republicans and their cohorts, the Christian Right have their way, the US will remain in this predicament. Representatives of the American flavor of Christianity are some of the most hate-filled, power-hungry, willfully ignorant, and regressive people I have ever personally encountered. Remove them from the equation and I expect things to instantly begin to look up. Also, it is not just blindness to how others do things, it is the lack of empathy for others and the inability to even care about how others do things, or to look askance at how others do things simply because it is not an American invention. Isn’t the US one of the last first-world countries not to have universal health care, for example? ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/6 "2014-07-26T16:39:26Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Sorry. As long as Republicans and their cohorts, the Christian Right have their way, the US will remain in this predicament. > > Also, it is not just blindness to how others do things, it is the lack of empathy for others and the inability to even care about how others do things, or to look askance at how others do things simply because it is not an American invention. Isn’t the US one of the last first-world countries not to have universal health care, for example? Agreed. It is also one of the least effective welfare states in the modern west. Nowhere else are there so many people roofless and foodless with no recourse to the state. And it is not just the lowest levels of society- nowhere in Europe are middle class professionals forced to live in their cars after losing everything- you see it on the edges of most Walmarts. It is all part of independence, freedom and individuality outweighing communality, care and compassion. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/7 "2014-07-26T16:40:41Z")
The US, on the national level, is several decades behind western europe regarding most forms of social progress. Also we are a very classist society, and those who get the death penalty (poor people, minorities) are people the ruling classes tend to disdain. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/8 "2014-07-26T16:43:35Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > … > One in 20 people in the world is American. > > One in four (A QUARTER) of the entire worlds prisoners are in the USA. > … Well then, killing some of them should help solve this problem. Only about 2/3 of the states have the death penalty. If you don’t want to be killed yourself, then commit your heinous crimes in one of the other 1/3 states. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/9 "2014-07-26T16:44:36Z")
> [@EndlessEntropy](#): > > Isn’t that a worrying fact and a sign that maybe something is wrong? No, as a matter of fact it isn’t. Glad to clear that up. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/10 "2014-07-26T16:45:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Well then, killing some of them should help solve this problem. > > Only about 2/3 of the states have the death penalty. > > If you don’t want to be killed yourself, then commit your heinous crimes in one of the other 1/3 states. The fact that people don’t do that tells you everything you need to know about the death penalty as deterrent. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/11 "2014-07-26T16:46:49Z")
We want to have it so when OJ finds the real killer(s), we can apply it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/12 "2014-07-26T16:50:41Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Because we are a very backwards and uncivilized country. Unlike all other developed countries, we don’t have national health care. We don’t tax corporations like GE, but we tax waiters and waitresses at an exorbitant rate. We are a very fascist country. The death penalty reinforces that. Also, I think for many of its supporters it is a huge sexual turn on for them, pretty much exactly like a serial killer feels. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/13 "2014-07-26T16:52:39Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Well then, killing some of them should help solve this problem. > > Only about 2/3 of the states have the death penalty. > > If you don’t want to be killed yourself, then commit your heinous crimes in one of the other 1/3 states. Not quite on topic there, but a nice drive-by. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/14 "2014-07-26T16:56:19Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Also, I think for many of its supporters it is a huge sexual turn on for them, pretty much exactly like a serial killer feels. Based on? ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/15 "2014-07-26T16:59:53Z")
I couldn’t find it in time to use in the [**Since when have laws been for prevention and not punishment?**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=728628) thread but it’s relevant here: [**Has prison deterred you from committing a crime?**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=694308) Based on that (unscientific) poll, prison (fear/threat of punishment) does deter slightly more than half the Dopers from committing crime. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/16 "2014-07-26T17:01:11Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Unlike all other developed countries, we don’t have national health care. We don’t tax corporations like GE, but we tax waiters and waitresses at an exorbitant rate. We are a very fascist country. The death penalty reinforces that. Also, I think for many of its supporters it is a huge sexual turn on for them, pretty much exactly like a serial killer feels. I would say that calling the US fascist is a step to far. Militaristic and obsessed with Armed Forces and Veterans (unless they are destitute) yes. Nationalistic but embarrassingly coyly so rather than fascistically so. Socially right wing in a fascist way but not economically left wing as fascism usually requires. No strong unifying Leader Does not insist on the primacy of the state- rather on the primacy of the individual Not protectionist but internationalistic in Trade. Only uses armed force as Foreign policy in an unplanned and strange manner, rather than consistently. About 3 out of 10 on a fascist scale. It is more like a radical right wing, individualist, unempathetic, religiously dominated, throw back state, but not fascist. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/17 "2014-07-26T17:02:23Z")
> [@dba\_Fred](#): > > I couldn’t find it in time to use in the [**Since when have laws been for prevention and not punishment?**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=728628) thread but it’s relevant here: > [**Has prison deterred you from committing a crime?**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=694308) > Based on that (unscientific) poll, prison (fear/threat of punishment) does deter slightly more than half the Dopers from committing crime. The problem is that it deters the very people who probably would never offend anyway, but does not deter the ones too stupid, drugged up or mentally ill who do. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/18 "2014-07-26T17:04:50Z")
Yeah, I think its part of the independence culture of the US. “I’ve got mine so screw you.” As well as a very black and white view of the world. There are good guys and bad guys. We’re the good guys and everyone else is the bad guys. Similar logic that led to calls for nuking Mecca after 9/11. In many ways I think the degree to which Europe accepts certain social progress actually acts to retard such progress here, since admitting that Europe was better than us at anything hurts the massive American ego. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/19 "2014-07-26T17:06:28Z")
> [@EndlessEntropy](#): > > the number of European countries with the death penalty is 0 Isn’t that a sign that maybe something is wrong? Well, yes, maybe something is wrong… with the European countries. 🙂 [quote] If you don’t want to be killed yourself, then commit your heinous crimes in one of the other 1/3 states. [quote] > [@](#): > > The fact that people don’t do that tells you everything you need to know about the death penalty as deterrent. ummm…maybe the death penalty isn’t meant to be a deterrent. (Since somebody stupid enough NOT to go to the other 1/3 states probably can’t be deterred from committing murder anyway.) But the death penalty does a pretty good job of deterring him from murdering a second time. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102/20 "2014-07-26T17:06:37Z")
For what it’s worth, as an enlightened, socially progressive, saintly and forbearing European; I think the U.S. still has the death penalty because a lot of people in the U.S. believe some crimes deserve death as a punishment. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-u-s-still-have-the-death-penalty/694102.md?page=2)