I’ve always been in favor of the death penalty, but I’ve also had certain caveats. People shouldn’t have to deal with a possible bullet to the back of the head for not cleaning-up after your dog, of for going six miles an hour over the posted speed limit.
Bottom line, the death penalty should only be used in cases of extreme gravity as well as rarely.
As far as extreme gravity is concerned, I’ll be specific;
- First-degree murder
- First-degree rape
- First-degree kidnapping (to include slave trading and torture)
- First-degree drug trafficking (that results in the death of 10 or more)
Now as far as rarity is concerned, here’re some stats from the federal BOP (Bureau of Prisons);
- Homicide, Aggravated Assault, and Kidnapping Offenses – 4,815 convicted – 3.3%
- Sex Offenses – 18,257 convicted – 12.7%
- Drug Offenses – 63,939 convicted – 44.4%
I’ll readily admit that “Sex Offences” and “Drug Offenses” are rather hefty percentages, but I’d also venture to assume those two BOP definitions are rather broad.
I’m comfortable in opining that “Sex Offences” and “Drug Offenses” specifications would be winnowed down if they were to be defined by the examples I already noted. At that point, these offenses would now be considered as rare.
But back to the topic at hand.
President Trump has already announced more than a few campaign promises that I’m quite enamored with. Here’s just a few;
- Largest round-up of illegals in American history
- Threatening the members of NATO to pay America back for the hundreds of billions we’ve sent to the Zelenskyy government
- Free American political prisoners tied to J6.
Here’s one I’d wish he added; bring back public executions as I previously defined. Here’s three that jump right out at me (emphasis mine);
- As reported by Tom Jackman of the Washington Post, via the New Zealand Herald; Jorge Torres, found guilty of “killing Laura and Krystal [8 and 9 year-old girls] on Mother’s Day 2005, as part of a plea deal in which he was sentenced to 100 years in prison, on top of his death penalty for killing [Amanda Jean] Snell [20-year-old Navy petty officer] and five life sentences for the attacks on the women in Arlington [Virginia].”
- Noted by ABC News; “[Dzhokhar] Tsarnaev was convicted by the same jury of seven women and five men last month of all 30 counts related to the deadly April 15, 2013 bombing. Three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, and another 260 were injured when Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, detonated twin explosive devices near the finish line of the marathon. Three days later, the brothers murdered MIT police officer Sean Collier.”
- Published by Jennifer Berry Hawes and Glenn Smith of Charleston, SC, Post and Courier; “Convicted mass killer Dylann Roof will plead guilty to state murder charges on April 10, sparing his nine victims’ loved ones a second grueling death penalty trial and ensuring he spends the rest of his life in prison. Roof, 22, was convicted in January of 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, and sentenced to death for killing nine black worshippers at Emanuel AME Church.”
