The law which attempts a man's life [capital punishment] is impractical, unjust, inadmissible. It has never repressed crime-for a second crime is every day committed at the foot of the scaffold.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A moral and practical argument against the effectiveness of capital punishment.
- In plain terms
- The death penalty is unfair and does not stop crime.
- What can you take from it?
- Question the efficacy of extreme penalties before accepting them.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does punishment deter crime effectively?
- Is justice served by execution?
Another view
Some argue it serves a deterrent function despite mixed evidence.
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