Thoughts on the Death Penalty

By | March 8, 2023

[March 8, 2023]   “Saddam Swings” blared the headlines of the Daily News.  In the early morning hours of December 30, 2006, disgraced Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging.  I was in Iraq at the time, just a couple of miles away.  His hanging changed my thoughts on the death penalty.

There are “crimes” that the proper penalty is death.  I believe this to be rather obvious.  Throughout history, the person in charge of a country that lost a war was often executed.  And the world has experienced many men who committed some of the most evil acts that go beyond our imagination.

The question for me is whether we should give the state power to execute its citizens.  From a practical standpoint, I think the answer is no.  Arguments that discuss the monetary costs of putting someone to death, the destruction of our “values,” etc., are not the point.

No person has had a family member violently killed or raped by someone who, in their right mind, would not want the perpetrator executed.  The job of an impartial, justice-oriented state would be to take that burden off of you with a proper penalty.

When the state allows an execution, who then is the monster?  Is it the criminal or the state?  The criminal, for sure.  I would argue that it is also the state.  A reasonable argument that I am making, is that we do not want the state to have that level of power.

Undoubtedly, there are profound malevolent acts committed by people in the world.  That Evil must be stopped.  How it can be stopped is the question.  Our world has struggled with this difficult choice since humans first walked the Earth.  Do we give the state the power of the death penalty?

I think not.

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Please read my books:

  1. “55 Rules for a Good Life,” on Amazon (link here).
  2. “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).
Author: Douglas R. Satterfield

Hello. I provide one article every day. My writings are influenced by great thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jung, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Jean Piaget, Erich Neumann, and Jordan Peterson, whose insight and brilliance have gotten millions worldwide to think about improving ourselves. Thank you for reading my blog.

21 thoughts on “Thoughts on the Death Penalty

  1. Jeff Blackwater

    I agree that the “state” should not have the power to execute those found guilty but there is no perfect solution and these men (mostly men) must die.

    Reply
    1. The Observer

      Hi Armywife. You and I and – I think – Gen. Satterfield all agree. Here is what Gen. S said, “No person has had a family member violently killed or raped by someone who, in their right mind, would not want the perpetrator executed.” The issue here is who or what entity is the right one to take a life. There is no good answer. Our system today is an imperfect solution to a big problem.

      Reply
      1. Armywife

        I understood exactly what General Satterfield was saying. Again I state I believe in the death penalty. However imperfect our system is it is what is in place now. Until we can come up with something better we have to work with what we have.

        Reply
  2. Maureen S. Sullivan

    “The job of an impartial, justice-oriented state would be to take that burden off of you with a proper penalty.”
    Now, is that the final answer? No. There is no final answer using the state.

    Reply
  3. JT Patterson

    Excellent article again, Gen. Satterfield. I’d like for you to develop this idea further.

    Reply
    1. Doc Blackshear

      Yep, and that might not be too easy. This is a problem – stopping evil – that the world has not been able to solve since the beginning of mankind. But maybe the point is not “stopping evil” so much as learning from that evil and making us, our families, and our communities better. That is maybe why God did not punish Cain after he killed his brother Able.

      Reply
      1. Emma Archambeau

        Well argued Doc, maybe a re-reading of the Bible is in order.

        Reply
  4. mainer

    “Undoubtedly, there are profound malevolent acts committed by people in the world. That Evil must be stopped. How it can be stopped is the question.” — Gen. Satterfield. So what is the answer? Maybe we should put more thought into it. Maybe we could encourage more intact families, religion, hard work, and honesty. That is a good start. Adopt responsibility and only tell the truth.

    Reply
    1. Idiot Savant

      Ha Ha, you’re starting to sound like Gen. Satterfield. These are his themes.

      Reply
        1. Max Foster

          We are certainly learning and thanks everyone for keeping the conversation civil and still informative. I personally love this website and also the leadership forums. When we can discuss ideas and learn how to improve or reject those ideas is the whole point of having a better society driven by freedom of speech. Remember that the freedom of speech is under attack by progressive, leftist politicians like Pres Biden and his ilk from the Democrat Party. Resist their tyrannical acts.

          Reply
        2. Yusaf from Texas

          This is the purpose of this forum and I’m happy it is here for us. Gives us plenty of opportunity to express our ideas and recieve polite feedback.

          Reply
    2. Under the Bridge

      Great suggestions and are within the philosophy of Gen. Satterfield. 😊

      Reply
  5. Georgie B.

    Something to think about and not something we can come to a consensus on in a few minutes.

    Reply
    1. Kenya

      Jasmine, thanks for recommending the book and I will add that I enjoyed every page. Each page was a story.

      Reply

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