I disagree.  For one thing (since you're on this site, I'm assuming you are Christian?), Jesus said, "Love your enemies; and do good to those who hate you."   I think mercy is more important than justice.   Funny (not in a Ha-Ha meaning), right after I posted my previous post, there was an article on CNN where the relatives of the Roof's victims were interviewed, and almost all of them said that they didn't want Roof to be executed.  They didn't want Roof to be executed because they didn't want vengeance.  One relative called the death penalty "barbaric" (and, of course, I agree).  The US and Japan are the only First World countries that still have the death penalty.  The ONLY two.  If the death penalty were any good at all, why have other countries abolished it?  Because, I think, they are more morally advanced and know that the death penalty truly is barbaric.  We are SUCH a violent country.  We're always at war.  We have more murders every year -- BY FAR -- than other FW countries.