Revenge and anger

I have seen police photos of what criminals do to other people. I can say with no hesitation that those people deserve the death penalty and that lethal injection is too kind. That's an emotional reaction to evil. Whatever brush you paint it with, the death penalty is revenge and punishment - pure and simple. Justify it how you wish, but call it what it is - court sanctioned murder. Would I feel that way after watching an execution? I don't know. I didn't get that chance tonight.

I have also seen battered women in prison for defending themselves against an abusive husband. Their defense or even their retaliation against a husband who raped their daughter or some other horrible crime may have landed them on death row. Can they be rehabilitated? I think some can. I oppose the death penalty for those who are young and in the wrong place at the wrong time, who have no criminal record or history and who are in that small majority that can turn their lives around. Not everyone can, but many do.

The death penalty is an imperfect system. How you feel about it depends on which side of the crime you're on. There are no easy answers. I strongly believe that the death penalty IS a deterrent to crime. There are studies that have shown that. Why isn't the media reporting on that? I don't know. For the same reason they don't report on how many citizens successfully defend themselves against armed criminals with deadly force I suppose.

These are issues that have been debated for decades and will continue to be major social issues. Until the human race changes I don't see this question being resolved either. I have seen small, rural court systems opt NOT to pursue the death penalty because it would bankrupt the county's budget. Great reason eh? How do you explain that to a victim's family? Gee - we don't have it in the budget to pursue the death penalty. How would you feel about this dirt-bag serving life in prison instead? Again - WHY do we pursue the death penalty against some and not others? In many cases - state law. If Emmett hadn't robbed Langley, it wouldn't have been a capital crime.

Like abortion, right-to-life, war and religion - I think this is one of those issues that can't be debated calmly. It's a powder-keg - and should be. After all - lives are at stake....victim's and criminals....