As a taxpayer, had McVeigh gotten away with life, I would resent the fact that my grandchildren could still be paying to keep alive a man who had murdered over a hundred other taxpayers.

Also for anyone who hasn't read Heinlien extensively, he was definitely a supporter of corporal punishment in all it's forms, including the death penalty. I thought the way he was quoted left that ambiguous or possibly even turned that around. I believe it was from "Starship Troopers" which you should read for yourself, ESPECIALLY if you saw the movie, and read the whole quote in context.

Personally I like the idea of flogging for "minor" crimes like petty theft. As long as it's done "by the numbers" and the "debt to society" is considered payed when it's over. It's a little more painful than a year in prison, but it's over faster (if done properly) and I believe the lesson would be more lasting. Unfortunately I also think it has great potential for abuse, and I hate to think what it would do to the guy who had to deliver the sentence regularly, so I'll leave it as a nice thought.

ChrisH
Whose politics are so far to the right he's left