| >point conceded. but who decides if they even have the option? the legislature of a particular state, and the prosecutor who decides to ask for it. if the jury has already convicted the person of the crime, they are already convinced of his guilt, however they may have come to that conclusion. the basis of our cj system is "better to let 100 guilty men go free, than to unjustly convict one innocent." this is why the burden of proof is on the prosecution (innocent until proven guilty). but, with the death penalty, there is no taking it back if it is found to be mistaken. and as for assassination, is that we will never be sure who was responsible any comfort to you?
While you cannot take it back after the execution, men on death row have been known to be set free by the courts and last minute reprives by governors. That's why people are left on death row so long. To give them a chance, just in case they really are innocent.
Personally, the assassination by covert government operatives makes me as paranoid as hell, but I've never crossed the government, so it's not something that's going to happen to me in the near future. The assassination thing obviously doesn't happen often, or at least one of these figures would be dead: Ralph Nader, Jesse Jackson, Pat Buchannan, Fidel Castro, Bill Gates.
Kimi |
