Reply #35: "Reasonable Doubt" is not a good enough standard to take a life

[pokerfan]

That's my current thinking, anyway. It's a high enough standard to incarcerate under our system but the fact that death is irrevocable gives me pause.

I've been on both sides of this issue and argued both sides equally passionately. I wrote an anti DP paer in highschool but I became pro DP later on. Then the Illinois death row DNA exonerations and moratorium made me reconsider and I've been anti ever since.

Death is irrevocable and reasonable doubt is just not a high enough standard for me. I'm not sure that any system would be good enough to balance against the finality of ending a life. Maybe I'm not anti for "pure" enough reasons but there you go. I figure you can always release someone in light of new compelling evidence. You can at least mitigate the harm by returning the rest of their life. But you can't undo a death.

Having said that, I have no problem with the use of lethal force if necessary to defend one's self or loved ones.

My thoughts at 48 anyway. I don't see them changing at this point.