Is capital punishment a deterrent?
NOT ALL OPPONENTS of capital punishment speak with one voice. Some, like Justice Harry Blackmun, who supported the death penalty during most of his term on the Court, finally decided he would “no longer tinker with the machinery of death” because the ultimate punishment was so randomly applied. That is, some of those on death row had not received due process — basic fairness — in their trials, or in their appeals. Others, such as the late Catholic cardinals Joseph Bernardin and John Cardinal O’Connor, were against capital punishment because they believed that to be pro-life, one must adhere to a consistent ethic of life — being against abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment. On the other hand, supporters of the death penalty often agree with George W. Bush and Al Gore. During their third presidential debate, both candidates were asked why they were for the death penalty. Both answered immediately: “It’s a deterrence.” Without capital punishment, homicides would increase. Neithe
