For the most part, as in cases where their is such a heinous spirit or energy attached to the crime. Where the criminal just bathes and languishes in what they've done, where they celebrate the murders that they've committed without even a sembelance of remorse, then I say yes.
There are those who've committed murder, crimes of passion as it's described, in situations where adultery has come into play. Each situation needs to be viewed on a case by case basis. There are some cases which really require scrutinizing. Some have been unjustly accused, and I'll just not go into the big debate about that, except to say, DNA TESTING!!!
Then there are those who might come to be examples of what profitable outcomes can result in the keeping of some prisoners alive. The example of Tookie Williams is just one possible scenario. How much good has come as result of his being in prison is debateable. He appears however to have become a guidepost for others who have gone down that road and continue on it, only to be diverted from it as a result of learning from Tookie Willams example. The books that he has written in order to bring about a message to targeted youth in theses United States, have reportedly worked miracles in the lives of many youth who have found a way and means of getting out of the gangs.
There are no easy answers regarding the death penalty. In many cases it would seems as if the easy way out. Eye for an eye is all too well understood by me, to punish someone, however, it would be more painful to continue to allow someone to live, without any means of human contact for the rest of thier days on earth, such as is done in many of the SUPERMAX Prison Systems, where you are kept alive in a contained and totally supervised environment. You wanna' punish somebody and make them feel pain? Make someone live through that hell and see how much a deterent to crime it becomes.
There are no easy answers. I'd have to say that if you want to make it fair, you got to cut across the board evenly, as one dies, then so do they all.
