2012-02-23T15:35:01Z http://stephenelder.com/comments/atom.aspx Quick Blogcast tag:www.stephenelder.com,2011-02-27:5341598 George Pettie 2011-02-27T15:08:13Z 2011-02-27T15:08:13Z I ran into my old friend Wiley the other day.<br /><br />"Wiley," says I, "You still on that Capital Punishment kick?"<br /><br />"Of course," says he." We won't be a civilized country until all the States eliminate it."<br /><br />"Tell me again," says I. "What's really wrong with it, now that DNA testing prevents wrongful convictions."<br /><br />Well, that really got Wiley going.<br /><br />"Look," says he. "You know damn well that Capital Punishment doesn't deter murders, or not many, anyway. And it's brutal. A society can have no self respect if it kills those who stray."<br /><br />"Stray?" says I. "We're talking about taking innocent lives here, Wiley."<br /><br />"I know that," he snaps defensively. "But we can't bring them back. Two wrongs don't make a right," he declared, reclaiming his high moral perch.<br /><br />I could see the discussion was over so I changed the subject, a little.<br /><br />"Can you believe all that stuff that came out about that nice old baker?" says I. "What he did to all those kids?"<br /><br />"Yeah," says he. "Holzhauer seemed like a decent sort. I guess you just can't tell who's twisted and evil. But he got what he deserved, likely at the hands of one of his victims who survived. Good riddance."<br /><br />"What he got, Wiley, was Capital Punishment," says I<br /><br />Well, that furrowed up Wiley's brow. He chewed on it for a minute, trying to find a way out of the corner he found himself backed into. <br /><br />"No, not the same," says he firmly.<br /><br />"Oh?" says I. "Looks like Capital Punishment to me."<br /><br />"Nope," says he, resolutely shaking his head. "It's the difference between hot-blooded retaliation and cold-blooded execution. That doesn't make it right but it's not Capital Punishment. <br /><br />"Really?" says I. "So, if the court turned the convicted murderer over to the hot-blooded victim or loved one for a retaliatory bullet between the eyes, it wouldn't be Capital Punishment?"<br /><br />I had him pinned. I could see him squirming to get loose. He saw he couldn't win so he punted.<br /><br />"Not exactly," he admitted. "But it would still be wrong, so it's not the answer. So I guess the baker shouldn't have been killed."<br /><br />I suppose you miss old Holshauer then?"<br /><br />"No, not really," says he. "But I sure miss those Napoleons!"