Keith Elder wrote: I do, and in good conscience.  Again, I'll point to this thread as an example, and hold up the nature of the attacks against Obama vs the attacks against Palin.

Oh come one, Keith.  You feel good about making a broad generalization like the one you made based on this forum and this thread in particular, one that has more Democrats and Liberals posting in it than conservatives?  You take this as being representative of the whole?  As to the notion that it's the rest of the net, I'd say what you pick and choose to read and where you read it says a lot more about what sites you choose to visit rather than being indicative of Democrats and Liberals spewing more vitriol than Republicans and Conservatives.

Keith - I thought about that when posting - but believe it not, my more lurid punchlines are kept off-line due to avoiding the usual "Source?  You're better than that.  I pity you." chestnut.  Fortunately for Tim O'Neill, he hears them all over the phone every night.

Having said that, my cleaned up punchline to that is: it wouldn't be a sex tape with Pailin, it would be one of her smoking refer with Gay Satanists in San Francisco or something.

Geoff - yes, that's the case - and yeah, it shouldn't be a death penalty case, but I only say that because I believe no case should be.

But on that particular case... it's like this - I have a myriad of reasons for opposing the death penalty.  One of the many is that I don't like how it's dished out free and easy when we're not always 100% sure of the guilt of the person.  Circumstantial evidence, hearasy, etc, are all "good enough" to sentance someone to death.  That's not ok in my book, even if it is enough for juries.  In this case there's no doubt who did it.  He did it in a classroom full of kids.  And there was no excuse for him doing it. 

But thankfully, it's not up to me and a momentary fit of rage to determine if he lives or dies.  So.. you know... that's my take.

Mike:

I think its wrong because I just feel in my heart its wrong.  But thats not a legal standard to my mind.  A good arguments can be made (on both sides, for and against) regarding it being a cruel and unusual punishment.  If that argument is not accepted a second argument can be made that the inquality of the death penalty's application along racial and socio-economic lines makes it impossible (as presently implemented) to be applied fairly to all manners of citzens.  Just my two cents, though.

Well!  Geoff, I think we agree on that, then.  Likewise, I also feel it wrong in my heart.