Death Penalty - what is your opinion about it?

[elprincipe]

1. I do not believe that anyone or any organization has the right to take away life from a person.  Therefore, I don't believe we should have the death penalty.

Then we go on to these as a less philosophical and more practical viewpoint.  However, even if these issues were solved, due to 1. above I wouldn't support the death penalty. 

2. Innocent people have been put to death and innocent people are on death row right now.  If we execute these people, there is no chance of putting wrongs right.

3. As mentioned above, it costs more for the court proceedings and other related things necessary to put someone to death compared to keeping them in prison for life.

4. It gives mass murderers and the like an easy way out.  They should be made to work hard to make what restitution possible to the family/families of their victims.

5. The death penalty has no deterrent effect (this has been plainly shown in studies).

6. Unequal application of the death penalty is disturbing.  Someone could be executed where I live (Virginia, the state that executes the second-most people of any state (Texas executes the most) for something that might land them in jail for 15 years across the river in the District or Maryland.