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Saturday, January 29, 2000 Page: 8A
The recent spate of articles arguing the death penalty is not a deterrent to
crime usually follows the same old theme supporting the opponents’ beliefs
with facts and figures showing that states and countries that have abolished
the death penalty have a lower murder rate than locales that still employ the
death penalty. This is meaningless.
I have discussed this issue with quite a few people as to whether fear of
execution would be a factor in preventing them from committing a murder and
without question they said yes.
Does this justify keeping the death penalty on the books? You bet it does.
If fear of execution prevents one person from being murdered, this is a
deterrent that has proven itself.
Eliminate the death penalty and you eliminate the deterrent. No longer in
fear of execution, the possibility of a person falling victim to being
murdered increases dramatically.
No, I’m afraid facts, figures, moral indignation and myriad other arguments
espoused by opponents of the death penalty remain meaningless and unrealistic.
John A. Kvoka
Plymouth