Avi, if I had the slightest thought that the death penalty was in fact a deterrent, I would agree that it’s a good idea. But the way it is administered today, I don’t believe that it is a deterrent. Furthermore, there are large costs that are created both in arriving at the decision to execute and in the rare tragic mistakes.
In short, I’m not saying the death penalty can never, under any circumstances be the right thing to do. But I think that our country is so far from that situation that having the apparatus in place is a waste of time and money.