U.S. Support for Death Penalty

So Europeans are baffled by U.S. support of the death penalty (April 6)? I’m baffled by their opposition to it! How else can civilized society express the ultimate outrage and revulsion against its most heinous and barbaric killers than to take from them their most precious possession--their lives? When inflicted upon the vilest of the vile among us (serial killers, child rape-murderers, torture murderers, mass murderers, etc.), the death penalty fulfills a high moral purpose; it restores a sense of order and balance to society by affirming that those who perpetrate the most despicable outrages against innocent citizens deserve the severest of consequences.

Sorry, Europeans, but comparing the U.S. to other countries utilizing capital punishment (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and China) won’t cut it either. Why not? Because of this simple truism: Civilized countries may utilize the death penalty, but not all countries that utilize the death penalty are civilized.

CHARLES HAIGH

Redondo Beach

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Though American, I too am baffled by the broad American support of the death penalty. To me it is nothing but brutality in service of mindless revenge and has no place in a civilized society. We all say we want to have a less violent society. But how can we ever expect it as long as we murder criminals? Executions are simply state-sanctioned murder and, to my mind, no more acceptable than the murders committed by those who are executed.

If murder is wrong, then it’s wrong. If we want to lessen the violence in our society, we need to begin by ending the state-sanctioned violence of executions.

ELIZABETH MOONEY

Marina del Rey