Death Penalty

I take exception to the continuing use of the phrase, “The death penalty is no deterrent.”

Can you name another crime other than murder where the sentence--justice--is not carried out because it is not a deterrent to further crime?

The death penalty is not supposed to be a deterrent. It has two purposes: punishment and the removal from society of a dangerous criminal.

We talk of the Constitution and our obligation to act by its rules, yet we call the death penalty “cruel and unusual punishment.” When the Constitution was written, that penalty was not considered cruel and unusual. There were far more inhumane kinds of punishment in those days.

There are two phrases that come to mind: an eye for an eye and let the punishment fit the crime. If that latter phrase were adopted, that beast who cut off a young girl’s arms after raping her would have the same thing done to him.

One of the arguments against the death penalty is that sometimes innocent people are put to death. Why not give those accused who maintain their innocence an important option: the right to permit the use of truth serum, polygraph tests and/or hypnotism. These tests would almost perfectly establish their innocence--or guilt.

SAM FISCHER

Laguna Hills