Read on Twitter
So, the death penalty. Personally, I believe it is immoral and unjust for a civilized society to hand down the ultimate punishment on one of its own. But the thing is, you don't even have to be very moral to oppose capital executions, just a rational. A quick thread. 1/x https://twitter.com/GrahamVyse/status/1337236791129157634
Once upon the 2000s, I was a 1L in a Crim Law class taught by Deborah Denno, a leading scholar on the death penalty. She taught us why capital punishment does not prevent, deter, or lessen the number of violent crimes. Decades of offender and recidivism stats bear this out. 2/x
Let's think about punishment in general. Why do societies punish members? "To teach them a lesson." In other words, deterrence against future crimes, and an example to others not to commit those crimes in the first place. 3/x
Why else? Well, theoretically, incarceration is supposed to include rehabilitation. The concept is simple: do your penance and we will prepare you for reintroduction into society. Of course, there is one more reason for punishment: vengeance. 4/x
Maybe you see where I am going with this. If we know that the death penalty does not deter people from committing violent crimes or from reoffending, and it does not offer the chance for rehabilitation... 5/x
..we are only left with retribution. Vengeance. Basically, bloodlust. I would just ask everyone to consider that maybe, even absent all moral direction, it is not a good idea to use the machinery of the state to carry out acts of ultimate revenge. Fin. 6/6
