by Louis P. Pojman

About the author: Louis P. Pojman is the author or editor of over twenty books and seventy-five articles. He teaches at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Let us examine some of the major objections to capital punishment, as well as the retentionist’s responses to those objections.

1. Objection: Capital punishment is a morally unacceptable thirst for revenge.

As former British Prime Minister Edward Heath put it,

The real point which is emphasized to me by many constituents is that even if the death penalty is not a deterrent, murderers deserve to die. This is the question of revenge. Again, this will be a matter of moral judgment for each of us. I do not believe in revenge. If I were to become the victim...