I could be convinced to be anti-DP

[Walt Starr]

I really could. I admire those who will stand up for their beliefs that the DP is wrong in all cases and will defend not imposing a death sentence on the most heinous of criminals like Timothy McVeigh. They have the courage of their convictions. This argument weighs more heavily in my mind than nearly every pro-DP arguments I can come up with. Hearing somebody say, "yes, he's a heinous criminal. Yes, I deplore his acts, but he's still a human and killing him only lessens all of us collectively." I can buy into life in prison with no chance for parole as this means the person is removed from general human society, I really can. It would also make it easier for jurists if they knew they would not be called upon to determine whether or not a person should eb put to death. This could only have an effect of making the justice system work more smoothly.

Heck, I can be (and have been) convinced that commuting the sentence to life without parole is the right thing when somebody has admitted their guilt and demonstrated remorse. Karla Faye Tucker is a good example of this and she deserved to have her sentence commuted to life without parole, IMO. It's not a far leap to move from there to opposing the DP.

When I hear disingenuous arguments about "redemption" when tagged to a mass murderer who never admitted his guilt, never showed remorse, and never cooperated to put his thuggish gang cohorts behind bars, it merely hardens my stance in favor of the death Penalty.

This might be a lesson to those who oppose the Death Penalty. When it comes to the DP, stick with the arguments that work and alter opinions over the long haul rather than cheap "mediatastic" attempts that really move your cause backwards.