This must stop. We need to direct our energies toward reducing crime and the societal factors which make for a crime-ridden America. We cannot simply cure these ills by appointing ourselves the judges and punishers of victims of a disproportionate and often callous system. The notion that capital punishment deters violent crime has been utterly debunked. Other studies indicate murder rates in states with the death penalty are almost double that of states without it.
Violence begets violence.
It always has. In 1995, the Justice Department issued a report indicating that between 1985 and 1995, the U.S. prison population nearly doubled. Appeals are made to our capacity to rage rather than reason. We should reject politicians who seek to manipulate our fears, encourage hatred and reject compassionate solutions. Criminals may not be very successful human beings.