Even if someone deserves to die (I'm not going to get into that debate; it's a purely ethical argument that can't be won), the ten or so prison workers per execution that have their lives ruined or ended because of the execution don't. According to EJUSA, "Corrections officials, haunted by the experience of putting people to death, have committed suicide, turned to alcohol, or suffered mental and physical health problems." These are innocent people that take their own lives because of the broken justice system. No matter how you look at it, that's just plain wrong.

First of all, I'll bet you that murderers probably don't live by that phrase. They're murderers, for heavens sakes. Similarly, that phrase as applied to capital punishment would read as, "Only execute others if you wish to be executed yourself."

The exact rates really aren't that relevant to the debate. If even a small number--let's say 1%--are executed and were innocent, the capital punishment system has failed completely. Those are lives you can't get back. The solution is to give convicted murderers life in prison without possibility of release or parole, so then the punishment can be transmuted if sufficient evidence arises to prove the prisoner innocent.