People Are More Than The Worst Thing

In Sorting Out My Feelings And Beliefs, There Is, However, One Piece Of Moral Ground Of Which I Am Absolutely Certain: If I Were To Be Murdered I Would Not Want My Murderer Executed. I Would Not Want My Death Avenged. Especially By Government--which Can't Be Trusted To Control Its Own Bureaucrats Or Collect Taxes Equitably Or Fill A Pothole, Much Less Decide Which Of Its Citizens To Kill.

Do They Deserve To Die?" But "do We Deserve To Kill Them?

I Tell Myself That I Had Simply Better Accept The Fact That The Death Penalty Is Here To Stay In Our Society, At Least For A While, And There Is Nothing I Can Do About It. Maybe, In Time- After How Many Executions? - People Will Come To Realize The Futility Of Randomly Selecting A Few People To Die Each Year.

Remorse Presupposes Enough Self-forgetfulness To Feel The Pain Ofothers.

I Keep Thinking Of The Gifts Of My Own Upbringing, Which I Once Took For Granted: I Can Read Any Book I Choose And Comprehend It. I Can Write A Complete Sentence And Punctuate It Correctly. If I Need Help, I Can Call On Judges, Attorneys, Educators, Ministers. I Wonder What I Would Be Like If I Had Grown Up Without Such Protections And Supports. What Cracks Would Have Turned Up In My Character?