George Will is opposed to the death penalty. Will is one of the conservative writers I most trust. I had always assumed he was in favor. I'm also opposed to capital punishment, but I don't brag about it.
Unlike Will, I do believe that the death penalty provides some element of deterrence. And, it can occasionally directly save lives. If NY State had a death penalty in the 1970s and 80s, Prison Guard Donna Payant would more than likely have not been murdered as her killer would almost certainly have been put to death before she came in contact with him.
Still, I am against the death penalty. Probably, because I'm a squeamish, middle-class wimp. Believe me, agreeing with the Irish sanctimonious set doesn't make me happy.
{If you want the full story on Lemuel Smith and Donna Payant, read this. It's not pleasant.}
