Kerry, the Death Penalty, and the Debates

[liberalpragmatist]

Kerry gave a great answer to this question about the death penalty in one of his '96 debates with Weld. I don't have the exact quote, but I know it went something like this:

"I know something about killing. I don't like killing. And I don't believe a state honors life by sanctioning killing."

Even so, he can't completely use the same answer again, so I would suggest throwing in a religious dimension - it would appeal to religious voters, establish Kerry as someone with clear moral principles and a religious foundation, something that doesn't truly bother me by is a major thing for many Americans.

So here's what he should say:

Q. Sen. Kerry, you are on record as opposing the death penalty. If someone raped and murdered your daughter, why shouldn't he be sentenced to death?

A. I don't even want to contemplate anything happening to my daughters or anybody in my family. If anyone were to do anything to my little girls I would want to see them die as horrible a death as humanly possible. But that judgement is reserved for God. Let the killer meet his maker. As a mortal human being, I don't believe in killing for the sake of killing. I know killing. I have killed. I don't like killing, and I don't believe it's the duty of the state to carry out God's judgement.

[fujiyama]

1. This question will come up

I'm somewhat surprised the Bush campaign hasn't tried going after it yet.

I personally agree with Kerry's stance on it. I also am confident he will handle the question better than Dukakis in '88.

Your resonse would be good though.

[Guaranteed]

2. If Bush brings it up somehow, or attacks Kerry, Kerry should

bring up the "Please don't kill me!" stuff.

[unblock]

3. even in times of war, you don't kill pows.

in times of war, you kill to remove military resources from the battlefield. if a military resource is captured, then it is already removed from the battlefield, no longer a military threat, and therefore, you don't kill.

the death penalty is not about killing serial murderers on the loose. if a murderer is on the loose, threatening society, then of course, lethal force may be used if needed. but the death penalty is all about killing someone who is already a prisoner and could just as easily be kept a prisoner until a natural death. even in war, you do not kill a prisoner. what then makes the death penalty proper?

why no just sentence these criminals to death by natural causes?