"..even a wise guy like Bill D sees the death penalty as a solution. "

You put words in my mouth, and the cardinal indulges in sweeping generalization.

In one sense, the death penalty is a solution....just as 'transportation' was one sort of solution for perceived 'crimes' England 2-3 hundred years ago. Not a good solution, but a solution.

The cardinal makes the very common mistake, made almost daily here on Mudcat by someone from Europe, of trying to paint the USA with a very broad brush. Yes....'some' states allow the death penalty, but as I carefully said, MOST do not use it often. There are areas in the U.S. where they could not possibly pass death penalty legislation. Hawaii, for example...and Massachusetts see here for state by state review

Some states that legally allow the death penalty have barely used it since 1976..(Oregon, for example)

Now...how does all that make the USA as a whole "...a culture of vengeance"? Scotland is small and a LOT more culturally cohesive on such matters. The US is huge and has VERY wide disparity on matters of law & morality. *I* could not live in a state like Texas or Alabama or S. Carolina...it would drive me crazy to pretend I didn't notice certain ways & attitudes I consider ignorant and narrow-minded. (I got away from Kansas as soon as I could!)

This is "The United States of America", and that 'united' part is not well observed by a few of the states, except for raising an army.

I see very well the cardinal's POINT about respect for life, but comparing the USA to Iran or Saudi Arabia is ludicrous!....and I repeat the last 2 parts of my first post, with added emphasis:

"He stated "In some states it's month by month now that they are killing people who have a right to live, whatever they've done wrong," WHY do people have a right to live, no matter what they've done wrong?

Does he not see the blatant, embedded assumptions in that? Does he have any idea what "some states" are facing in crime rates and prison population?/ Does he offer a workable alternative?"