Jed, I understand what you're saying about execution being a rite that exists for the good of society -- not as punishment, not as a way to cure the evil done by the condemned, but as a way to express society's most extreme condemnation of the most extreme forms of criminal behavior. But I think that we need to question whether it truly provides "value to society as a whole, in the form of retribution." Is retribution of any real value? Should society's highest aim in these cases be retribution, or should it be increased understanding of the roots of evil acts like this one? I'm sure I'd be labeled soft on crime for feeling this way, but I don't think "punishment" is really worth much. When we punish violent criminals harshly, they generally turn even more violent. When we kill them (coldly, deliberately, at a point when they no longer represent a threat to us), WE become more violent. I can't claim to have all the answers, but I really think that our whole concept of criminal justice in this society needs to be rethought -- what we have now is not working very well, for anybody.

I say this with the utmost respect for your point of view, by the way. I thank you for not throwing insults or adopting a hostile attitude towards those who disagree with you (wish some others would follow your example).