I was impressed with one victim's statement and I do agree, even outside the issue of religiously motivated violence. Even with a domestic murder, the death penalty is nothing more than state sponsored revenge. It is not corrective or a deterrent. It will not bring back the dead. And on top of that it still costs way more to tax payers to prosecute a death penalty case than it is to give them life in prison.
He also brought up something I notice about human beings in general when it comes to violence. His age. Be it religious violence or street gang violence what you typically see is desperate youth trying to cling to to something only to act out in destructive ways.
I also notice this especially with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The combatants in both camps on average are young in their teens or early 20s. I can also outside this issue, think about my own youth and all the destructive things I did, and even when not being self destructive, how ideological I was. I look back at all that now and realize it was my own ignorance combined with hormones and insecurity. It is far to easy to become a follower of anything when you are not armed with self awareness.
He also brought up something I notice about human beings in general when it comes to violence. His age. Be it religious violence or street gang violence what you typically see is desperate youth trying to cling to to something only to act out in destructive ways.
I also notice this especially with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The combatants in both camps on average are young in their teens or early 20s. I can also outside this issue, think about my own youth and all the destructive things I did, and even when not being self destructive, how ideological I was. I look back at all that now and realize it was my own ignorance combined with hormones and insecurity. It is far to easy to become a follower of anything when you are not armed with self awareness.
