Is the death penalty justice or revenge?

[tik 🪀✨]

Measured revenge is a very basic form of justice. So, I do think that in some terrible situations the death penalty serves as justice for a few people, or for society, when considered by itself.

However, the death penalty in the real world means much more than punishment for one person. The permanence of death goes too far. The fact that the State is responsible for overseeing the controlled ending of human life ought to be terrifying for the small government conservative as well. Weird bunch.

I'd say that the death penalty prioritizes revenge over justice. And it's icky.