Regarding the letter about the death penalty, “Clearly violates Constitution”: The letter writer would abolish the death penalty. That’s probably not a bad idea. Like many people, I have my own ideas about who should be executed. But in an orderly society, capital cases are initiated by prosecuting attorneys using their own judgment, without consulting me. Consequently, some offenders can be condemned, whom I would permit to live if it were up to me. If there were no death penalty, everybody would live, even though I would prefer that some of them were dead.
Since we can’t have it both ways, I would choose the latter course. I’d rather share the earth with people I dislike than allow the executions of offenders that don’t necessarily deserve it.
We try to provide fair trials, but nobody can guarantee that only guilty people will be convicted. We know that innocent men have been sentenced to death.
If you are so determined to execute the guilty, that you are willing to execute a few innocents also, then, though I disagree, I see that you have a true grasp of the issue, and you are no hypocrite.
Charles DeBruler
Everett
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