"And I thought all mudcatters were peace loving tree huggers..."

Why would you think all of ANY group can be easily pigeonholed?
Even in the UK, I'm sure you can find those who would gladly support the death penalty!

I'm sorry, but it is not a simple thing to decide in advance how to deal with those who commit the worst crimes.

Remember...even when you suspect that there may be innocent people, wrongly convicted in prisons, there are FAR more truly guilty, who cost the state a LOT of money to keep, and who are a serious danger to the guards who watch them and to other prisoners.

When you are pontificating about the evils of the death penalty, ask yourself how best to deal with the ever expanding prison populations. *IF* you commit to a non-negotiable policy of NO death penalty, you'd best brace yourself for many, many complex problems in dealing with the worst parts of humanity.