Few topics are as controversial as the death penalty. Passions on both sides run deep. Honorable people with sound arguments and good reasoning are diametrically opposed. The issue strikes a chord deep in the American psyche. In our own newsroom it's difficult to build a consensus.
Opponents argue the death penalty is discriminatory and minorities are persecuted.
Others point to well-publicized cases where the innocent have been sent to the gallows. Still others point out the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to serious crime. We would agree these are all valid arguments. However, we would say there are certain heinous crimes that by their very nature forfeit a perpetrators right to live. He's had his day in court, he was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and now he's asked for a speedy execution.