I’ve opposed the death penalty for three reasons. I don’t trust the state to administer it fairly. The death penalty is barbaric and shames us. And if we want humans to believe that taking human life is taboo, the state should set an example by not killing its own citizens.
I have no sympathy for the murderers on death row. We all have to die sometime.
When I was young, the death penalty was a major issue. A few states abolished it. Many did not. As an issue it faded away.
Recently the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, announced that he would not enforce the death penalty. Whatever you think of Newsom, he’s uncommonly willing to take an unpopular position.
Back in the 1950s I attended a class in French novels in translation, which introduced me to Albert Camus. Camus opposed the death penalty and brutality in general, which created a rift with other French leftists at the time who supported Joe Stalin. Camus knew right from wrong. Sometimes he did the right thing. Same for Newsom.
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