Death Penalty

I oppose the death penalty which is not a popular opinion where I live. However I don't oppose it per se but because of extraneous factors. I agree completely with this quote from The Agitator

" I’m opposed to the death penalty not because I don’t think there are some crimes so heinous that they merit death as a punishment. I’m opposed to it because I don’t think the government is capable of administering it fairly, competently, and with adequate protections to prevent the execution of an innocent person."

Exactly. I could care less for a person guilty enough to deserve death. I don't even really care that the death be as painless as possible. It's the innocent I'm concerned about. I don't care if 10 convicted true killers sit in prison their whole life if a innocent man doesn't get put down wrongly. The money issue is constantly brought up. "It costs so much to keep them there!" Bullshit. These are usually the same people who support making drugs illegal which cost orders of magnitude more than a few extra prisoners.

In general if the government runs it then you need as many safeguards as possible in place to contain incompetence. Notice I didn't say "prevent". Contain. In any government system true accountability (i.e. firing) is almost nonexistent so incompetence is widespread.