I actually agree with something that Robert Robb wrote! For readers who are unfamiliar with Mr. Robb's work, he's a conservative columnist for the AZ Republic. He's a 'corporate' conservative; by that I mean that most of his columns advocate for less regulation and lower/non-existent taxes on corporate activities, regardless of the nature of the activities.
For him, anything that enhances the profits of corporations is a good thing to be encouraged. Anything that doesn't help corporations is outside the purview of government and society.
Generally, when he writes about a social issue, it's through that lens.
Today, however, he wrote a column regarding capital punishment. He opposes it on the basis of the very human imperfection of criminal justice system. While instances have been fairly rare, the number of incorrectly convicted defendants in a justice system that can apply capital punishment for crimes is troubling.
From the conclusion of his column -
Life without parole allows for error to be reversed.
Death, obviously, does not. Any human institution will be prone to error. The criminal justice system, as it currently operates, can hardly be argued to be less susceptible to this reality.
And for that reason, it should not be entrusted with an irreversible penalty.
In what may be a first, not only do I agree with Mr. Robb (which has happened a couple of times in the past), it's for the same reasons...
I should note here that while I almost always disagree with Mr. Robb, he is, far and away, the best of the 'conservative' writers at the Rep. He always writes in a reasonable, intelligent manner and backs up his positions with facts; he may draw the wrong conclusions from those facts, but he's not a ravening ideologue.
Later!
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