Capital punishment1

Capital Punishment I recently read an article from the ACLU, written by Adam Bedau. It explained, quite eloquently, that for society to execute a murderer made society no better than the murderer himself. He said, “The executioner is no better than the criminal.” I was impressed by this moral stance, but I was surprised to read that he failed to apply this logic consistently. For example, the he went on to argue that life imprisonment …

…moral dilemma: I suggest that when one person violates another’s rights, he forfeit some of his own rights. If you steal from your neighbor, it is justice that some of your property should be taken away from you as punishment and deterrent. If you kidnap your neighbor, it is just for you to lose some of your own freedom. And if you kill your neighbor, it is just for you to lose your life.