"paul packer" wrote in message
...

Apart from the fact that the death penalty is barbaric and inhuman,
and no deterrent to anyone except the victim, how does it relate to
the riots? Would the rioters have stayed home for fear of receiving
the death penalty?

It's more comfortable than most deaths, and is empahitacally moral.
There is no more moral act than for society to exorcise
its worst murderers.
As far as a deterrent, it s irrelevant, no more a deterrent than the
alternative, life withut parole

However, I am for abolishing the death penalty, but only because we
cannot assure that the innocent are not executed. We are not good enough to
do that,
even with DNA analysis.

However, while we have it, lets use it for those
who are truly deserving and whose guilt is without
credible doubt, such as Tookie Williams.