The death penalty is wrong in its essence itself. A state killing its subjects, even when committed crimes, spreads the underlying message that killing someone who is guilty is okay. I would dig up some numbers to show you that the death penalty has absolutely no effect on the reduction of murder - which is, after all, your ultimate goal - but I'm too lazy to do that right now. I had done so several days ago but decided not to post, since this thread jumps from topic to topic every second. It's even interesting that I read somewhere that the death penalty is about 2.3 million USD more expensive than locking up the criminal for the rest of his (or her) life. No idea how that's possible though, but I assume killing someone is not cheap (you cannot simply let them starve to death).
A state should at no point sanction killing, not even if it does the killing itself. I am happy that Europe (except for Belarus) has abolished capital punishment and I believe that ultimately the abolishment of capital punishment is part of the progress of human kind. Yes, I am saying that we are more "civilized" than countries that still have capital punishment. If you condemn murder done by the criminal, condemn it when it is done by the state. Who's to say a murderer cannot change his ways? It is ironic that some southern American states, like Texas, which I consider to be rather religious ones, forget that a fundamental part of Christianity is being able to forgive someone who has wronged you. But I guess religion is only used to the extend it favours you - that's why it's a joke.
