The death penalty makes no sense.

[Jackie]

This morning at 10 AM CDT, the State of Nebraska is set to execute Carey Dean Moore, who says that he is "ready to die".  His victims' families approve of his upcoming execution.  But, when Mr. Moore dies a (hopefully) peaceful death, he will cease to exist, and hence, no longer suffer the punishments of prison.  In fact, if he experiences what I experienced a few days ago when I fainted while on my feet due to a brief illness (probably, mono), he will never even experience death.  Instead, he will go to sleep and then die.

In this sense, how can the death penalty be said to be "punishment"; isn't it just better to leave Mr. Moore in prison for the rest of his life if you wish to see him be punished for his heinous crimes?  Instead, Mr. Moore gets to end his life on the World stage, on the front pages of major newspapers across the Globe.

Then why do most all of them keep appealing and delaying the execution?

States are different, some are up to the convicted, in other states it is automatic. But it still amounts to human rights, and even the convicted have rights. That is what separates us from authoritarian states like North Korea, and authoritarian theocracies like Iran and Saudi Arabia.