If you don't believe in the death penalty, this should change your mind.

[donathos]

I believe that the death penalty can be appropriate for some crimes.

Life is hope. While a person lives, they have opportunities for happiness, joy and redemption. And some crimes are so heinous, that I think the person who has committed them should be denied further opportunities for happiness, joy and redemption; they should have no more hope.

I am sympathetic to arguments that innocents should not be killed. Neither should they be put in prison for life, nor should they be fined or serve community service. And I hope that we can improve our administration of justice to the point where only the guilty are punished, in any way, shape or form.

But I do not think we can withhold punishment until the day of perfect justice. What we can do, however, is do our best to make certain that--the stiffer the penalty, the greater the precaution in its administration. I leave such heavy decisions to those best suited to make them--the judges and justices.

I also agree that a strict limitation on governmental power is important. Obviously, the death penalty in the hands of a tyrannical government is an awful thing. In fact, tyrannical government is an awful thing, and a menace, and will not long be denied the death penalty should it want it.

That said, the administration of justice is part of the appropriate functions of a good government. So, just as it is dangerous that the government has control of the military, the true danger is tyranny and the abuse of power, not the fact that government has power, as such.