That's the title of a Nebraska editorial column in the North Platte Telegraph written by Peter Rogers, the Telegraph's Publisher.
It happens about this time every year: the Nebraska Legislature debates the wisdom of eliminating the death penalty. (Or not: the bill Tuesday was subject to filibuster and cannot return before the end of the session.)
It has been effectively rendered ineffective anyway - the death penalty, not the Legislature, although that could be discussed - but for purposes that are not all that mysterious to most of us, members of the Legislature make this annual attempt to mandate its removal as law.
Editorially we have supported eliminating the death sentence. It tends to raise eyebrows amongst conservatives and liberals alike. Conservatives generally applaud our positions and liberals tend to not applaud our positions. Our death penalty position runs contrary to those conservative leanings.
But frankly, it is difficult to understand how anyone who adamantly opposes abortion can accept killing an adult. I understand the revulsion of aborting an innocent. And the rationalization of executing a convicted murderer - an eye for an eye, so to speak.
But the fact remains that to honor life, we need to honor all life. It is doubtful the death penalty acts as a great deterrent to crime. It is debatable what it does to us as a society.
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