I am sorry to see that there are several jerks on FR who "oppose the death penalty." I don't know what anyone can mean by such a sweeping statement. It is the sort of brainless principle that one would expect an airhead liberal to come out with.
Life is a struggle for survival, and evil is one of the things we must face, fight, and defeat. Otherwise life means nothing.
To be really pro-life, you must be for the death penalty for muderers.
The alternative is not only to lose the deterent value. Without a death penalty, there will be revenge killings. Already we are at that point. The whole reason for law is to avoid anarchy and vendettas. That is why the state must close murder cases with just executions.
I am also for forgiveness. If the criminal repents, I will forgive him. Then we can proceed with the execution.
I really could never fathom how a conservative could really believe that the State should be given the authority to execute its citizens. I understand the arguments on both sides of the issue...I do not oppose the death penalty for the reasons the oblivions who were out 'supporting Tookie' do, but for what I believe are core conservative precepts. The issue of the relationship between State and the individual or citizen.
My God, we get very upset (and rightly so) when the SCOTUS supported taking someone's land for eminent domain for the good of society, but we do agree with the State executions?
I do not see myself as a bleeding heart liberal for having this view.