Dylann Roof sentenced to death

[Jackie]

Out of curiosity, if you were called upon to plead for the lives of the likes of Ted Bundy, Dylan Roof, Timothy McVeigh, John Wayne Gacy, etc...at their trials, what evidence would you give, or what would you say to convince a courtroom that their lives should be spared?

Why would I plead for their lives at all?  My opposition to the death penalty has nothing to do with wishing to see their lives spared.  

Well then, that's obviously not the type of evidence I was talking about, which I made perfectly clear in another post. Also, you're talking about Texas. They need more reform than the average bear.

I understand that, but you might be overestimating our justice system if you think that any other place can guarantee any greater quality of evidence, or that it couldn't happen anywhere (ofc, it already has happened elsewhere, all over elsewhere), that you....or me, or anyone else - even given the "right" evidence...couldn't get the conviction wrong.    

Yeah, this is the part where you think that it bothers me to turn the state into executioners. It doesn't. They've been executioners since the dawn of our country. There have always been people that society is better off without. I'd rather see execution be rare and extremely well-controlled than argue for the life of people like Roof.

IDK, I was asking.  If it doesn't bother you it doesn't bother you.  I also think they've been executioners since the dawn of our country.  That doesn't mean they have to be.  We make that decision anew every single time.  There's no need to argue for people like roof to oppose the death penalty.  Making it about him is to trivialize rather than address the issue, imo.

Thank you Rhythm, that last line says what I was trying to argue. Nobody is demanding you have sympathy for Roof or Bundy or like them, the picture is long term not one case. You can't make it about them, that is the trap we fall for every single time a mass shooter or mass murderer gets caught. It creates tunnel vision and is not a long term prevention issue or tax payer issue. 

Crime is a long term social issue, prevention in reducing that is how we raise kids, the ability to see warning signs, economic stability, understanding human behaviors both good and bad, and investment in mental health care. Right now our climate is far too full of a revenge mentality. It isn't enough to simply lock them up, or use a court to punish people.