Well, since someone brought it up, I don't approve of the death penalty, mostly for procedural reasons. I don't see anyway it can be made fair, and no way we can be certain of not executing an innocent person. (we have definately come very close, and there's at least one case where I'm pretty sure than the accused was innocent, and CERTAIN he should never have been convicted). So that's my biggest reason. IF the death penalty is legal, it will be used. And if it is used, there is a very good chance that sooner or later, our justice system being what is it (and human beings being how they are) that we will execute an innocent person. That is intolerable. Then there's the fact the application of the death penalty has very little to do with the viciousness of the crime . . . there are so many factors that are just chance; that's unfair. Particularly, the felony murder laws have resulted in some horrifically unfair applications of the death penalty.
Moreover, I think that most people, even murderers, have some redeeming value. Maybe not much, but there's something worth saving there. I'll concede that there are people who, in fact, have NO redeeming value . . . but I don't see how a court can figure that one out.
Basically, if we don't execute anyone, we can't make any mistakes, and don't take upon ourselves to judge the value (or lack there of) of a human life while we are, justifiably, enraged.
I also have issues with the methods of execution used in this country. I don't like the medicalization of execution . .. frankly, if you want to execute someone, hang the SOB. Don't pretty up what you are doing . . . it takes away from any deterrent value and makes us all hypocrites.
Its not that I don't think certain people deserve to die. I do, actually. There are people who not only deserve to die, they deserve to die slowly and painfully. They deserve to be torn apart by the family of their victim using red hot tongs. I just don't think that we should be in the business of making that call.
There is one situation in which I fully support the death penalty: genocide and crimes against humanity. I take this view because not only have those who have engaged in them forfeitted their membership in the human race (and we usually have execellent evidence), but because such crimes much be condemned in the strongest possible terms.