Yep, why is it wrong that a grieving mother could not kill her dtr's predator, but it is okay for someone else, designated by law? If it is not my privilege, then whose privilege is it? NO ONES.

PremedRN,
Because Capital Punishment is not about revenge, it is about justice.

Diana,
What you say may be right in theory. I just have a hard time believing that humans can separate those innate feelings of revenge and just merely justice, therefore, I dont feel others should make that call, allbeit more rationally than if I were the mother of such a victim and took that predator's life with my own hands. So for me, Im not convinced of its justibility as its basis. We are human.

I would like to throw out a few more ideas and then try and put this to bed.
First, you say that the d.p. is not about revenge, it's about justice. I am assuming here that you are talking about punishment, because justice sounds like a euphemism for revenge - "eye for an eye" logic. If it's punishment, first let's look at what punishment's goals are:
1. Reconciliation
2. Rehabilitation
3. Retribution
4. Deterrence

We can obviously say that 1 and 2 are out because it's hard for a dead man to ever try to make things right for the victim's family or for him/herself again.
Retribution - well, yes, back to the revenge, it may do that for some.
Deterrence - while the jury's still out on this and it's always debated, it is pretty clear from any statistics of violence here in the states (any of them) and any other developed country in the world that our judicial system is not working to deter crime.

Using those goals, it's got to be revenge that we're looking for; otherwise, what is it?

If it weren't driven by pure emotion, then why would people not involved, criminal nor victims, be so passionate about keeping it? When we try to detach ourselves from emotions, it's amazing the new perspective in which we are allowed to see the world.

Brandi