To the editor:

In response to Andy Gonzales’ column supporting capital punishment in the March 1 Daily, I must disagree.

He says “many capital punishment opponents suggest that prisoners’ lives are worth more than their victims.”

This is not a correct observation. As a capital punishment opponent, I value human life more than anything else, no matter if it is a victim’s or a criminal’s, and I do believe in the punishment of criminals who take people’s lives.

Punishment should fit the crime, but two wrongs do not make a right. Capital punishment is just as wrong as murder.

Mr. Gonzales states, “executions are reserved for those who commit crimes worthy of death.” In a civilized world, no crime is worthy of death.

Killing a living, breathing human being is an atrocious and immoral act, and there is no excuse for it.

If some people are not living by the laws set by our society, it is our responsibility to protect ourselves by putting them in prisons and isolating them. Putting those people to death, however, would be an equally barbaric crime.

We all know that pressured police departments are sometimes eager to arrest suspects for unsolved crimes, the people accused of capital crimes are not always provided adequate defense, and our legal system can make mistakes; all these issues can lead to innocent people losing their lives.

Illinois Gov. George Ryan suspended executions when solid evidence was found that innocent people were sentenced to death. Mr. Gonzales argues, “life imprisonment versus punishment equals injustice.” But can Mr. Gonzales justify all the innocent people sent to death row?

For one second, Mr. Gonzales should imagine himself locked up behind bars waiting his time on death row for a crime he did not commit.

Then, he should think about the loved ones he would have to leave behind, how a single blunder in the legal system could cost him his life.

How would that make him feel? Would that make him feel scared, hopeless or enraged perhaps?

Could he defend his position about capital punishment the same way? Could he justify the death penalty?

One innocent person being put to death is enough to justify abolishing capital punishment.

People can be found innocent and set free while serving life sentences, but we can do nothing for the innocent dead.

There is no justification for the death penalty.

Mike Daricilar

Sophomore

Industrial engineering