If he didn't put in for the death penalty, the rest of the country and republicans would look at him like he's weak on terror.

Yeah, I know.

As a MA resident myself all my life, I still find myself going back to the concept that the death penalty is appropriate for those that go outside the bounds of what society should be. But that's a classical view that I don't quite hold the same way as I did in my youth.

I do find myself largely aligned with most (but not all) of my fellow locals in that they don't want the death penalty, or at least aren't seeking it. It's been curious watching which local friends on Facebook are pleased by it, their connection to the event and their own leanings.