>>>For me its a red herring. The state should never kill .
>>
>>I agree with that...and I think more Americans are believing that each year.
>
>I don't know about that. There is an anger level in this country that is just below the boiling point.
>
>Here is the paradox I don't get. A death sentence essentially says you have done the most unforgivable thing you can do, which is take a human life. And for that we are going to kill you.

The reason you see it as a paradox is because you and others who beleive the way you do see exeuction as killing when it's not. It's administration of justice. It's simply giving someone a level of punishment above all others. In most cases, the punishmet fits the crime, and to do less is in insult to the victims and their families.

Consider this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33410779/ns/today-today_people/

Would you lock this person up? I bet you this person was a known sex offender, meaning he had probably already spent time in prison, and has decided not to change. This kind of thing is commonplace - where a criminal has been to jail one or mroe times for committing a crime, and did it again, this time killing someone. There needs to be a punishment for these type of people that is beyond a mere jail sentence.