I am opposed to capital punishing, but the killing of James Byrd so sickened me that I thought this might be one instance where the death penalty would be a good idea.
In the final analysis, however, I must still oppose all capital punishment, even in the case of the Byrd murder. NB news item: "Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition says John William King 'should spend the rest of his life in prison and ultimately answer to God for killing James Byrd, but he should not be executed.' Jackson said, 'The most civil among us must have the courage to end the cycle of violence. The death penalty's only purpose is revenge. Killing John King will not bring back the life of James Byrd.'" (release, 2/26).
Carl Remick