Greg Krehbiel
Tim Kaine — Acting the way a governor should act
by Greg Krehbiel on 11 November 2009
Despite his personal opposition to the death penalty, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine did not intervene to prevent the execution of John Allen Muhammad.
That’s the way a governor is supposed to act. He’s supposed to enforce the law, not his private opinions.
As for Muhammad, he’s gone where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho!
2009-11-11 » Greg Krehbiel
13 November 2009 @ 12:42 pm
I agree that Tim Kaine followed the law here, but really, how are we better off now that John Muhammed is dead?
Are Muslim extremists deterred? Most of them believe in martyrdom, I’d say they are possibly encouraged.
“Justice” has been done? I guess… Life in prison is probably more punitive.
I don’t think capital punishment is wrong always, but if it serves no purpose but vengeance I do think it’s wrong.
Someday, we may be unable to house large bodies of people in prison or conditions may get so bad there that capital punishment would actually be mercy. On that day, I’ll be for capital punishment in the US. That day is not today.
14 November 2009 @ 5:53 pm
One way we’re better off that this guy is dead is that nobody can take a hostage and demand his release.
What amuses me about the death penalty argument is that the “sanctity of human life” is used by both sides.
Pro-death penalty — life is so sacred that the only reasonable penalty for someone who takes a life is to kill him. (That is unquestionably the biblical position.)
Anti-death penalty — life is so sacred that even when someone commits the most heinous act imaginable we should not kill him.