Welcome to the Ides of October

2/85

Welcome to the Ides of October.

My diabetes is under control without meds. Keep going.

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

–Voltaire (1694-1778)

Andrew P. Napolitano’s “A Culture of Death” argues that capital punishment—and especially publicly broadcasting executions—violates the principles of limited government. His main points are:

1. Government exists to protect natural rights. He argues that the right to life precedes government and limits its legitimate authority.
2. Self-defense differs from execution. Necessary force against an immediate attacker does not, in his reasoning, justify killing a prisoner already securely confined.
3. Citizens cannot delegate powers they do not possess. He applies this principle to argue against government’s moral authority to execute captives.
4. Livestreaming executions turns death into entertainment. He condemns Pete Hegseth’s proposed broadcast as political spectacle that encourages acceptance of state violence.
5. Military participation compounds the problem. He argues that national defense should not become a production celebrating power over prisoners.
6. Life imprisonment protects society while allowing correction of wrongful convictions.
7. Victims deserve compassion without political exploitation. He argues that honoring them requires fair justice rather than vengeance.
8. Civilization requires restraint. His concluding standard is how faithfully government limits its own violence, even under public pressure. Antiwar.com

https://www.fff.org/