The media has widely reported the recent errors and problems in the execution of two convicted and sentenced men. I suspect this will bring about a new examination of the death penalty in the United States.

Citizens of Washington have repeatedly voted to have the death penalty, but our courts have repeatedly struck down death penalty laws, and repeatedly overturned death penalty verdicts to the effect that Washington does not really have a death penalty. It is on the books, but it cannot be done.

I believe that the people should have the right to choose whether or not there is a death penalty, and if the people want it, the appellate courts should honor the will of the people and allow the sentences to be carried out. I also believe there are people who are so depraved and twisted that there is no way we can ever trust them to allow them to be free in our society and evening prison they are dangerous to other prisoners and staff. We cannot take the chance they will not continue to do what they have proved they are willing to do.

Personally I believe that the death penalty is appropriate for some crimes. I believe this because I believe in the right of self-defense. I believe that people have the right to defend themselves with deadly force when they are confronted with deadly force and when they reasonably believe if they do not act they will be killed. This reasonable belief gives them the right to take the life of the person who threatens them with death. The law recognizes this and calls the killing in self-defense a justified homicide.

I believe that if the victim would have been justified in taking the life of the attacker when the attacker was coming at them with murder in his heart, then if the people so choose, they have the right to stand in the place of the victim and do what the victim was justified in doing, but could not get done. Said another way, if the attacker could have been killed by the victim for what the attacker was going to do, is not the attacker just as deserving of facing death by the people after killing the victim than as before? I believe they are.

I also believe that if the people of a state do not want to have a death penalty, they have that right as well. We live in a country of laws. The laws ultimately reflect the collective will of the majority of the people. As such, courts ought to respect that and allow the will of the people to be carried out.