>mbs
But as I pointed out (and you dismissed with a sneer) justice cannot be the issue. The people you consider most deserving of the death penalty cannot be punished to the extent that any pure eye-for-an-eye tooth for a tooth justice would require. You explicitly rejected such "justice" in one of your posts on the grounds that you are insufficiently bloodthirsty. But if justice is not the issue, then the only question is one of protecting society. Life imprisonment certainly does this as well as any humane execution.
Incidentally, you also said that this no longer the "United States of Lyncherdom". I presume you mean this literally, and are not suggeting that most of those accused of criminal acts receive reasonably fair trials these day. There does seem to be a real problem with false convictions. At least 80 people who have been convicted and sentenced to death have had their convictions overturned. Some of us take this as a hint that all is not well in our criminal injustice system. If you need information on just how unfair our system is, I will be happy to provide it -- but it would suprise me for someone who usually tries to take postitions based on facts to be ignorant in this matter.
-- Gar W. Lipow 815 Dundee RD NW Olympia, WA 98502