I believe that there is something in the natural law that makes a rational person believe that if one deliberately and without just cause takes an innocent life, then that person's life is forfeited as payment for the innocent's life lost.
However, the means by which the state in our modern society determines this is so flawed that it is not best to not apply the death penalty in this day and age.
I have no doubt that there are many despiscable convicts who deserve to die for their horrible crimes. However, there are also others who have been shown to be innocent of the crimes by which they were convicted, some long after the fact. As well, there is a blantant disparity in the application of the death penalty, as it is unevenly distributed to minorities and the poor, yet the rich can "get off" by having the best attorneys money can buy. As well, certain politically ambitious DA's have been known to "forget" evidence in order to win re-election.
In addition to all this, those convicted get to endlessly appeal to the ends of the earth, and they drain much-needed funds by doing this. Meanwhile, they get to be on Good Morning America and get books written about them, making them become celebrities with copycats and desperate women wanting to marry them. This is too much.
Therefore, I believe that the death penalty, even in the case of Mr. Muhammed, is not the solution. The way the system is now, he will exploit it as much as it can be exploited, and we may well all be raptured and the antichrist come and gone before they ever get around to executing him.
No, life in prison, with no possibility of parole AND no Diane Sawyer would be the ideal punishment.
(Wow! Is the Mr. Mozier talking???? Mr. Right-Wing, Rush Limbaugh-listening Republican??? Yes, it is. Surprised?)
mozier