Zizek and capital punishment

[s-t-t at juno.com]

I was wondering if anyone on LBO-Talk knows what Slavoj Zizek's position
on the death penalty is?  I was reading his essay "Death and the Maiden"
in which he said 1977 death row inmate Gary Gilmore's request for the
governor of Utah to put him to death "profoundly shatters the
humanitarian foundations of the opponents of the death penalty."  Why? 
And is this, to Zizek, merely the refutation of a particular opposition
to capital punishment or is he claiming Gary Gilmore's desire to be
killed by the state invalidates any argument against ritual sacrifice by
the state?

For a bit more context, the reference to Gilmore arose out of his
critique, among other films, of _Dead Man Walking_, which Zizek was using
in an effort to demonstrate the perversity of excess Goodness.  Capital
punishment was only addressed tangentially.

-- Shane

________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.