“As a conservative, my opposition to the death penalty is rooted in the same principles that shape the rest of my worldview: a deep skepticism of concentrated government power and a belief that ultimate authority belongs to God. While many conservatives reach a different conclusion, I am not comfortable entrusting the state with the irreversible power to take a human life. Government is fallible; God is not. For me, the power over life and death should rest with Him alone.” – Bethany Mandel, Conservative Writer & Commentator
“On the core issue — yes or no on capital punishment — I’m with the opponents. Better to err on the side of not taking life. The teaching of the Catholic Church, to which I belong, seems right to me: The state has the legitimate authority to execute criminals, but it should refrain if it has other means of protecting people from them. Our government almost always does.” – Ramesh Ponnuru, Senior Editor for National Review and Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
“Government has no business in the taking of life that is not strictly related to national defense. The same people who don’t believe that government can efficiently deliver health services or regulate the economy believe it can execute people without a mistake. Government should have no authority to make decisions where a mistake could mean the taking of an innocent life. I would rather see 100 guilty men go free, than to see one innocent person executed.” – Austin Petersen, Founder & Editor, The Libertarian Republic
“I used to support the death penalty, but I oppose it now. It gives the state too much power, it actually cost more money than life in prison without parole, and the government sometimes sentences innocent people to death.” – Julie Borowski, Political commentator and author
“America’s system of capital punishment is not only a fiscally liberal bridge to nowhere – it is a bridge built from the crooked timber of humanity.” – Ian Huyett, Associate Editor at the Libertarian Republic and Former President of the Kansas State Young Americans for Liberty
“The death penalty violates the 8th Amendment and a human’s natural right to life. I don’t trust the government, or anyone, to decide who should live and die.” – Mary Chastain, author at Reason
“I believe the death penalty has become far too expensive and cumbersome to administer. As a conservative, I expect government to find the most cost effective means to achieve its goals, and life in prison without parole offers a far more cost effective and speedy, but still serious, punishment than the death penalty.” – David Burge, Conservative Commentator
