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there is a large part of the rationale that pertains to punitive measures, but it is nowhere near as simple as "you did this, therefore you'll get the same". I know you immediately discount the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent, but many many many people do not. Whether this is a lack of education or a lack of definitive evidence is irrelevant, the debate continues and it nowhere as near a conclusion as you seem to assume.
Also, I'm completely baffled by your equating the original act of murder with the measure of capital punishment. How can you compare the two? The first is often an act of greed, of lust, of jealousy, or cold-blooded twisted perversion. The second is the result of a fair trial by peers, subject to public review, apportioned according to established standards and only prosecuted after a process of appeal has been exhausted.
While the result is the same (a person is killed), the methods and motivations are radically different. To equate the two is to ignore the realities of two very distinct actions.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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