Utah killer executed by firing squad

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

Not executing the murderer shows that society has no power (or will) to provide restitution and justice to a victim's family. This is an issue of displaying to the people governed that their justice system will provide appropriate restitution and there is no need to resort to vigilantism, which if a society devolves to that, is much worse than a death penalty execution.

And from a strictly non-spiritual view, being alive and locked up is a lot better than being dead. If being locked up was so terrible, near the same as death, why are there not more suicides in jail?

I suggest that you read Death at Midnight, a book by Dr. Donald Cabana. He was the Warden at Parchman state pen and oversaw the execution process. His experiences turned him against the death penalty.

One of Cabana's arguments is that, generally, victim's families do not feel a sense of restitution from executions. As Cabana describes it, when you are already grieving a loss which cannot be replaced, having someone else die is experienced as an empty, unsatisfying reality by most victim's families.

As to your other point, there are many suicides in prison. And prisoners in for life are closely monitored precisely so that they cannot commit suicide. Thus security, not a lack of despair, limits the numbers of suicides.