Death Penalty Controversy
Your article on the death penalty (“Degraded by a Lust for Death,” by William J. Wood, Op-Ed Page, Feb. 7) is not only outrageous but also insulting.
How dare you characterize proponents of capital punishment as having a “lust for death”? Your sanctimonious opposition doesn’t give you the right to slander those with whom you disagree!
Furthermore, Father Wood’s hand-wringing discourse adds nothing to the debate over capital punishment. I was astounded to read that “our democratic experiment is such a failure that we have to resort to legalized killing in order to protect ourselves,” and that violent crimes “are symptomatic of a very dysfunctional society.” What utter garbage! We are not to blame for the atrocious crimes of people like Robert Alton Harris--they are responsible for their own actions, and deserve to pay the ultimate price for their horrible deeds.
GREGORY J. WAHL
Santa Barbara
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