abolish the death penalty in all circumstances.

In a just society the government has the obligation to protect the human rights of all, including protecting society from violent criminals by removing them from the normal daily life of that society. The death penalty has long been proven to have no significant deterrent value, and a just society will do its utmost to respect the life, liberty and other everyone of all insofar as this is possible as a way of standing before the world as truly civilized. Society's right of "self-defense" extends only so far as is necessary for self-protection,. Maximum security prisons are available, so the death penalty is unnecessary. In fact, it becomes nothing more than vengeance, which is never a legitimate goal of a justice system. Long prison terms, indeed life without parole, serve the purpose.