<DIV>Paul,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I will believe the data until I see some data that invalidates the three separate studies. I am sure that not all variables were taken into account, however, I don't think they could be nor need to be to produce valid results. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think the limited number of executions and the prolonged stays of execution does encourage rational thinking criminals to consider murder such as in the prevention of witness testimony. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan<BR><BR><B><I>Paul Rumelhart <godshatter@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Donovan,<BR><BR>I agree that science should not be ignored for political expedience. I <BR>do have a problem with this study, though. How do you measure how many <BR>murders wouldn't have happened in a given time
frame? Apparently, they <BR>look at murder rates in places that have the death penalty vs those that <BR>don't, and try to account for every other factor that might affect the <BR>data. Since there are so few inmates killed in this country each year, <BR>I would think it would be too hard to measure their effect. We're <BR>talking looking at 16,000+ murders vs 60 executions. Just like the <BR>critics that were quoted in the article said, they didn't even try to <BR>examine crimes that bring the death penalty vs. those that don't. It's <BR>a noble attempt and an interesting idea, but it's not scientific proof.<BR><BR>For instance, what about the opposite of deterrence? If someone has <BR>just committed a crime that brings the death penalty, doesn't this take <BR>away the last restraint put upon that person by society? If you're <BR>going to fry for killing one person anyway, why not kill ten or twenty? <BR>However, you might get out of jail someday if you only kill one
person <BR>and there is no death penalty. Not so much after killing ten or twenty.<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>Donovan Arnold wrote:<BR>> Andreas,<BR>> <BR>> You can try to discredit the results of legitimate scientific <BR>> research but it doesn't make the results any less true. The <BR>> lead researcher was against the death penalty. I am against the death <BR>> penalty in almost every case. But it would be wrong to ignore <BR>> the scientific data that killing people for murder acts as a deterrent <BR>> for some not to commit murder.<BR>> <BR>> Just because the death penalty deters potential murderers from <BR>> killing, doesn't mean that it is always the right or moral thing to <BR>> do. If killing an innocent person for a murder they didn't commit <BR>> reduced future murders that would not justify the action either.<BR>> <BR>> I think you are incorrect to discredit all who are not in the criminal <BR>> justice field from having
valid input into the impacts of the death <BR>> penalty. Economics studies social behavior and makes empirical <BR>> observations about social behavior. The death penalty is very much a <BR>> social issue. <BR>> <BR>> What we should not do, I think ever, is ignore the truth of scientific <BR>> research for political expedience, or because it doesn't fit nicely <BR>> into what we wish, want to believe, or goes against the social changes <BR>> we would like to make. If you have data that refutes these findings, <BR>> please site them.<BR>> <BR>> Best,<BR>> <BR>> Donovan<BR>> <BR>> <BR>><BR>><BR>> */Andreas Schou <OPHITE@GMAIL.COM>/* wrote:<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> On 6/10/07, *Donovan Arnold* <DONOVANJARNOLD2005@YAHOO.COM<BR>> <?xml:namespace prefix = mailto /><mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com>> wrote:<BR>><BR>> How about that? According to scientific research the death<BR>> penalty saves 3-18
lives per execution.<BR>><BR>><BR>> In a series of studies conducted and published by economics<BR>> professors. A general knowledge of statistics does not an expert<BR>> on criminal justice make. This seems virtually identical to the<BR>> conservative physicists, chemists, and economists that suddenly<BR>> becom experts on climatology when questioned about global warming.<BR>><BR>> -- ACS<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers <BR>> <HTTP: evt="48254/*http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/_ylc=X3oDMTI5MGx2aThyBF9TAzIxMTU1MDAzNTIEX3MDMzk2NTQ1MTAzBHNlYwNCQUJwaWxsYXJfTklfMzYwBHNsawNQcm9kdWN0X3F1ZXN0aW9uX3BhZ2U-?link=list&sid=396545469" us.rd.yahoo.com>from <BR>> someone who knows.<BR>> Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.<BR>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>><BR>>
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