Courtland Milloy argues in today’s Washington Post that capital punishment does not make us any safer.
Muhammad is 42. With two life sentences, there would be no way he’d ever see the light of day again. Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, the so-called Green River serial killer — who recently admitted to killing 48 women — all got life behind bars. And they are not getting out. But that conniving ole Muhammad — he’d find a way and come kill us all.
Granted, the issue of capital punishment is not one of safety. But in not enforcing a death penalty for murderers, we are then forcing the families of victims to watch their loved one’s killer continue to breathe the air their brother, sister, husband, wife, son or daughter can no longer have fill their lungs.
That, any reasonable person would agree, is plainly unacceptable. And there’s a cold place in someone’s heart if they would ask that of the grieving families.