Should The UK Reinstate The Death Penalty?
Today in Manchester, two young female police officers, were shot dead by a man wanted for murder.
It is the worst murder of members of the police since 1966. At that time, when Harry Roberts and two others, shot dead three policemen, I was serving in a pub in North London.
The mood in the pub that evening was sombre and one of horror. Few suggested that the recent abolishment of capital punishment the year before was to blame. Although a couple did get shouted down, for proposing thoughts about dead policemen.
Remember too, that it was soon after the Hanratty case, which did a lot to discredit the death penalty in the UK, as many believed Hanratty to be innocent.
I suspect that like in 1966, there will be a lot of discussion tonight and generally despite the sex and age of the victims, I suspect there will not be a large groundswell of support for the return of the death penalty.
There does appear to be one big difference between the murders today and that of those in 1966. Harry Roberts went and hid from the police, whereas Dale Cregan today, just walked into a police station and gave himself up. Perhaps he understood the horror, of what he had done, whereas Roberts didn’t! If Cregan did, we’ve moved on in the forty plus years.
The Anonymous Widower 
I would not like to see the death penalty reinstated, simply because sometimes juries get it wrong, and innocent people would hang, or whatever method they used.
Comment by Liz P | September 18, 2012 |
Having met someone, who was sentenced to hang and then reprieved, I am totally against it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_O'Connor_(author)
His children were at school with mine.
Comment by AnonW | September 18, 2012 |
It’s simple the answer is definitely NO. Killing is wrong, except in defence of potential death of oneself or others.
Apart from the pure moral standpoint, that avoidable killing is wrong, there is the even worse possibility of killing the wrong person. Organisations of all types that support killings for holding the wrong opinion are particularly evil, as they try to take away the individuals’ personal moral conscience.
Comment by John Wright | September 18, 2012 |
I wrote short post about capital punishment the other week -http://historyme.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/strangeways-at-strangeways/ – and I remain convinced that capital punishment should never be reinstated in the United Kingdom, no matter what the crime is.
We must always strive for just society and must remain above our most base instincts.
Religion aside, all life, even those we wish to end, must remain sacred.
Also, it is a unique life indeed that is lived without having an affect on others. Indeed impossible in my opinion and also must be taken into the equation when thinking of ending a life. Taking a life affects more than just the person who is killed.
There is always tragedy in these extreme circumstances, but life must be preserved at all costs.
Comment by historyme | September 18, 2012 |
I agree totally.
Comment by AnonW | September 18, 2012 |
It must be so destructive and painful being in a situation where you are on the end of such crimes against a person you know and love, where some amongst warrant the only “just” punishment in their eyes would be the ultimate punishment; capital punishment. We must never travel this dark road again.
Comment by historyme | September 18, 2012
I still remember vividly sitting on a sofa at a children’s party in Notting Hill, whilst Jimmy O’Connor told me about the horror of being sentenced to death. Innocently, as it turned out! Perhaps a deterrent would be to remake some of his plays.
Comment by AnonW | September 18, 2012 |