A society that wishes to become civilized does not solve the problem(s) of crime by putting the perpetrators of heinous criimes to death. How can one say that it's against the law to go out and kill people when the state has the power to go and do just that? It doesn't make sense. To quote an old adverb( I forget who said it), but it's true) "No true justice can be served when the law itself becomes a killer."

Secondly, the death penalty, regardless of how it's performed, is all to often used as yet another discriiminatory tool against poor people and people of color.

Thirdly, too many innocent people are killed, and the person who really committed the crime(s) are found later and end up getting off scott-free.

Many years ago, a minister down in Texas wrote a very poignant argument
against the death penalty, which I tend to agree with, still, to this day.

First of all, the death penalty creates yet a whole other set of victims: Even people who're executed for these kind of heinous crimes have friends and/or loved ones who grieve for them when they're gone. Secondly, it has been found that in prisons, especially inmates who've had to dig the grave(s) of the executed or whatever end up behaving much, much worse, because it has a profoundly negative affect on an already-explosive atmosphere that pervades in many, if not most jails/penetentiaries here in the United States. Fourth, many priests and ministers, for example, who've presided over the funerals, burials and/or memorials and services of criminals who've been executed have become so profoundly depressed that they've felt compelled to leave their calling....and quit the religious life altogether.

Back in the early 1990's, here in the Bay State, two men in their early twenties abducted a ten-year-old boy, drove him an hour north to a neighborning state near the Massachusetts border, sexually abused, and brutally murdered him. The father of the deceased 10-year-old boy embarked on a long, drawn-out and bitter campaign to get the death penalty restored here in the Bay State. As a result of this protracted, bitter campaign on the part of the young boy's father, the Bay State came one vote shy of restoring the death penalty.

Not long thereafter, however, this same father, realizing the fallability of the criminal justice system made sort of an about-face--and began a campaign
against the death penalty, even going as far as writing to several out-of-state governors imploring them to spare their death-row inmates.

I believe that a person who has the guts to change one's mind in that way deserves some respect .

Justice system is not primarily about deterrence. It is about meting out justice - proper punishment - for crimes. That's the whole point of justice. So obviously some crimes deserve the death penalty as the proper punishment. I doubt too many murderers really care one way or the other what the punishment is, but we as a civilized society should reward such acts with proper repercussions.

Any justice system is flawed but ours is a lot better than most others. If we waited until humanity perfected itself before we punished anyone, we'd wait forever. That should not prevent us from punishing those who deserve it and we are doing a fine job.

robot. I like it!

He's Rove's little plaything.

Do you think those two are an item?

more expensive? Even if it is a bit healthier, isn't it a lot more inefficient to grow?

that ain't too bad. Though I'd put some border enforcement stuff into the immigration bill. Other than that, it's a worthy effort from our republican brother. I am glad you noticed.

...a guy on there was just talking about privatization, and apparently they get paid by the head... one critic points out that prisons are meant for punishment and deterrence, but that the private companies are interested in "treating em good, feeding em good, so that they keep coming back"...

Another critic says that they scrimp on food and medical care to save money.

So I guess we'll just have to wait to see what the real deal is. Fact is, we have a long history of sketchy conditions in federally-run prisons too, and there's been riots before in federally run prisons.

At least it is keeping their mind off the infantile testimony of Gonzales.

LIke vultures they swarm over this raw meat. I swear half of those guys are recovering Viet Nam Vets, how actually have never recovered.

The betrayal of the missions belongs to Bush. He screwed it up so bad that now we are actually in serious danger because of the state of our military and the state of international affairs. ..... which is a bit frightening.

I am prouder then sh*t of Reid for standing his ground.

...that cyrillic writing looks really freaking cool. Right up there with Kanji and Katakana.

Although one line I'd translate differently, if only because the English connotation is a lot different:

Российские жестко контролируемые телевизионные каналы торжественно почтили память Ельцина, называя его великим человеком.

Heavily-censored Russian television stations solemnly honored the memory of Yeltsin, calling him a great man.

(instead of "celebrated"). Although there's something comical about solemn television shows, or at least hard to take seriously. I'm imagining one of those ponderous, gloomy voices intoning basic facts about Yeltsin's life over photographs of him before he wore his alcoholism on his face, interrupted every 5 minutes by a bright and chipper реклама!

Great article - thanks for the link.

It is things like this that make me wish I had more time in my life to see all these questions answered and know what is out there.