He brutally raped and murdered Capitol Hill resident, Peyton Tuthill, in her home. His crime is indefensible. It feels emotionally gratifying to think of Page's execution, and I am not here to argue the virtue of Page's life. Instead, my argument lies in the idea that, if taking life is wrong, then, by this very precept, the death penalty is inherently wrong as well. One of America's most valuable assets, when considering our justice system, is the idea of impartiality.
Justice is blind, some like to say.
Capital punishment, however, tests this belief. In its essence, the death penalty is based on the emotion of revenge. We do not, for instance, sentence rapists to an encounter of sexual violence, or beat people guilty of assault, even if this fantasy seems somewhat fulfilling. It is because of this sense of retaliation, though, that we have outlawed vigilante groups. Our penal system was created so that the unpredictability of human emotion could not override logic and reason.