Comments on: Chad Nykiel (FGCU): “Death Penalty (Personal Experience)” http://livingtextblog.andosciasociology.net/2009/04/08/chad-nykiel-fgcu-death-penalty-personal-experience/ Sat, 19 May 2012 17:24:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Mr. Andoscia http://livingtextblog.andosciasociology.net/2009/04/08/chad-nykiel-fgcu-death-penalty-personal-experience/#comment-994 Mr. Andoscia Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:08:18 +0000 http://livingtextblog.andosciasociology.net/2009/04/08/chad-nykiel-fgcu-death-penalty-personal-experience/#comment-994 You make a good point. Philosophical ideas may change dramatically when encountering real life. I used to have a problem with my ideas on the death penalty. I used to think (and to a certain extent, still do) that those who commit murder deserve to die. That's a tough one to argue against. But what is deserved and reality is more complicated. A question that I ask is, regardless of what an individual deserves, should the state have the power to determine who lives and who dies. I say that no institution is competent enough to make that call. No institution is competent enough to judge a life. With due deference to your friend, there are many reasons to be against the death penalty. You make a good point. Philosophical ideas may change dramatically when encountering real life.

I used to have a problem with my ideas on the death penalty. I used to think (and to a certain extent, still do) that those who commit murder deserve to die. That’s a tough one to argue against.

But what is deserved and reality is more complicated. A question that I ask is, regardless of what an individual deserves, should the state have the power to determine who lives and who dies. I say that no institution is competent enough to make that call. No institution is competent enough to judge a life.

With due deference to your friend, there are many reasons to be against the death penalty.

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