Let me begin by saying that this is debate and I'm not taking it personal So not to worry about that. Thanks for the call. I'll try and return it this weekend--Pat

I have cold blood running through my veins? You think it's acceptable that our government murders innocent people! How callous is THAT! 

Our government is the most fair in the land and in any trial form you are going to have errors and frame jobs. I understand that but I also believe that capital punishment is necessary in a good deal of the cases. For my view on this board that will not be a popular belief

Answer me this: how many "mistakes" do you feel the government should be allowed to make in capital punishment cases? If your answer is anything more than zero, than you are a willing accomplice to murder! Your government is taking someone's life in the most cruel and premeditated fashion - and you stand by and think "oh well - he prolly had it comin' anyway"? Think for just one second about the countless number of people that were innocent of the crime for which they were being put to death. Look at all the people in Illinois that had their death sentences overturned due to DNA evidence or witness/police corruption. Innocent people being put to death by the government!

I do believe there is going to be mistakes and you bring up an interesting one which is DNA. Generally I'm referring to death sentences for people who are guilty beyond any shadow of a doubt.
Are there going to be errors. Do we do away with capital punishement because there is the possibility of an error. I say know. Bill Orielly points out the lawyers who know for a fact that their clients are guilty and still defend and misuse the justice system. I believe we have a serious flaw in our judicial system when it comes to heinous crimes in that we sensationalize these trials in the media and such and as Andrea pointed out in the Bush post the people with the most money can get off. I'm deviating from the topic of those that do heinous crimes. We've got a guy coming into Austin that was convicted of raping and murdering a girl (because he enjoyed it) and through some loophole is out and will soon be living the community. Ian I would be interested in you views on a solution to making sure these people never return to society. We have too many liberal judges out there that do not understand they some people cannot be rehabilited.

You feel sorry for the parents of the kids killed at the school - what of the kids of an innocent parent killed by the state! And the sickest thing of all is when enough evidence has come to light beforehand to raise reasonable doubt or even exonerate the victim and still the execution goes on. How much closer to the devil would have to be to stand by and let that happen?  Guess you can ask Ann Richards or George W Bush that one!  
That is your take on it. My viewpoints differ as detailed above

What is the upside of capital punishment? It costs more than incarceration, it has no impact on reducing crime, it doesn't make the victim's family's feel any better, and the entire process is wrought with racism/favoritism. But you don't care what any studies might reveal, after all ignorance is bliss. Keep pretending that it helps - that way you'll still be able to sleep at night in the capital of state sponsored murder, inc.
I've never understood how it is cheaper to keep a convict for 30 years vs executing him. Explain that one to me (seriously)

O'Reilly is irrelevant. Geraldo Rivera wields more power, and Bill couldn't even carry half of Oprah's girdle. 
Oh Ian, you just have to look at ratings to determine that one. Ratings means more people watch. And if more people watch well they wield more power. Oreilly is king of cable talk.