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this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2026
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This is why I get a bit pissed at opponents to the death penalty.
Yes, I think they make a good case for uncertainty of guilt. If the defendant in any way still protests the evidence or there could be any room for jury bias or any “UNreasonable doubts” over the murder, especially when it was only a single person, yes, I think it’s safer to avoid the Death Penalty.
But in cases where it was overt, repeated, caught on video, clearly intentional, and/or took advantage of a position held to a higher standard, I think yes; certain bad people really should die.
And look at how many evil people wanted him freed; if he was simply given a life sentence, the campaign to release him for “just doing his job” would be perpetually huge.
Meanwhile, the campaign to release Charlie Kirk from prison has gone quiet.
I like how you're seeing the justice system failing here, and then you're arguing to give it more power. If you can't get it to work in the way you want, in what world is giving them the ability to kill people they want to get rid of a good idea?
The death penalty is a law enforcement weapon. Unless you think you will personally be able to make the laws to serve your interests, you should oppose the death penalty just from a strategic standpoint. The death penalty will be used to execute enemies of the state when the state is unjust.
Death as harm reduction is often good. Killing soldiers from an invading army is good, killing cops is good. But death is only harm reduction if you don't have better options. A community fighting a state often doesn't, but anything capable of arranging a death penalty likely does.
Death as punishment is kind of dumb. The person will stop existing so they will stop suffering for their crimes, and everybody who has ever done something similar now knows they should fight to the death to resist you.
Death as an ideological suppressant is even dumber. The people that want people who have done wrong freed won't go away if you execute the people who have done wrong. Most Nazi leaders died pretty quick but neo-nazis worshipped them anyway. Martyrdom is a real factor, and the dead can't ruin their own reputation by being embarrassing or changing their minds. In fact people whose heroes are martyred tend to radicalize.
Ross is not the problem here. No amount of punishment for him will change the fact that 90 million people voted for Project 2025 and the US government is becoming fascist. Death is part of the answer, but not for him.