sinbad

The death sentence seems like such a good idea. What better way to punish someone for such an abhorrent crime than to extinguish their existence?
It's interesting that we make a case against it because our judicial system is flawed. Does it help us sleep at night knowing that instead of taking someone's life we have simply denied them the right to live, so it's not so bad if we're wrong about their guilt? That's nice. At least we can release them at a later date should we bother to reopen the case or hear an appeal.

To me that seems a little absurd. Either we have faith in "the system" or we don't. If we don't we should be just as reluctant to imprison someone for a long time as we are to take their life. If we do then punishment should be determined by what we hope to achieve. If we think life imprisonment is too lenient and not enough of a deterrent to others, and we think the best way to stop a crime being committed again (by the offender or anyone else) is to execute the guilty party and make sure everyone knows about it then it must be in the public interest to execute the person.

They've found him guilty, they have confidence in their system. They want to stop it happening again. In a way you have to admire that, but of course it's easy to say that if you're not a wrongly convicted person with a week to live.