The Death Penalty and Moussaoui

I am not an advocate of the death penalty because:

1) there is no evidence that the death penalty serves as a deterrent. In theory at least, the application of a sentance should serve not only to punish the guilty, but prevent future occurences of the same or similar type of crime.
2) there is evidence that the application of the death penalty is not the same across all racial groups. Instead the punishment is more likely to be sought and to be given when the defendant is non-caucasian.
3) of the innocent "man" possibility. I do not feel that we should be willing to risk sacrificing the innocent in order to punish the guilty.

But since I'm human so there are times when a crime is so heinous that I feel that the SOB in question should be terminated with extreme prejudice. But for me, Moussaoui was not a candidate for the death penalty. And it isn't because I didn't think that he didn't deserve to die for his participation in 9/11, but rather because I didn't want him to get what he wanted--a chance to die to his cause, to be a martyr. Better to lock him in a cold, dark place contemplating for a lifetime the ways that he failed. For someone like him, that is true punishment and one of which he is clearly deserving.

.....Hope

For anyone who wants more information about the death penalty in real, practical terms should read "Death Work: A Study of the Modern Execution Process."