the death penalty.
what are some words that you'd use to describe it?
evil, cruel, barbaric etc.
but think of what you would want to do to a person that murdered someone dear to you.
when somebody murders another, they do more than take away a life.
they rob parents of a son.
they rob friends of a confidante.
they rob siblings of a brother or sister.
ok, maybe in some cases, the murderer regrets it and is sorry.
but honestly, will all the guilt and remorse in the world bring that person back to life?
NO. As we all know, once people are dead, THEY STAY DEAD.
forever.and ever and ever.

let's say if someone murdered my sister, even if they are sooooo sorry they did it and they grovel at my feet, would i forgive them?
truth is, i would want them to rot in hell.
it may sound harsh, and incredibly vindictive, but it's the truth. if they're gonna have the guts to kill her, they should have to guts to face up the consequences.
even if it is death.

yes, humans are very imperfect.
and that is the reason, that when someone has killed another, it is almost impossible to look at the "whole person". it's that bad. if someone smothers a kid to death, will ANYONE take in consideration that he volunteers at the old folks home?
here is a real life example.
a very powerful and influential military man cared about animals a lot.
he did not allow the testing of medicines on animals, and he did not go hunting.
he made his soldiers wear bells so that little animals would be warned of their presence, and not get stepped on.
the same man was the one who captured, killed, tortured or/and gassed thousands and thousands of jews. he let doctors test new(and unstable) drugs and medicines on them as well.
yes, it was adolf hitler.
sometimes, the twisted side of people overrules the good side.

yes, there should be second chances for every normal person.
keyword being normal.
mass murderers, psychopaths, sociopaths etc.
could you really consider them "normal"?
a person that puts a toddler in the dryer and spins it at high heat.
a person that battered a baby until its spine was broken and cot splattered with blood.
are they normal?
and, these are real cases(and quite recent)
they're going to jail for life too.
to flip the question, how is THEIR life more valuable than that of their victims.
you tell me.

you think criticising these people will help? that they'll find the err of their ways?
i don't think so. al capone thought he was a "misunderstood public benefactor".

sarah's post deals with the normal person.
mine deals with the psychopaths.
so technically these are kinda separate arguments, it's not really about the death penalty per se, it's more about whether person in question deserves it.
but still, face the music, because if you were a normal person, you would have a conscience that warned you beforehand.