In response to:
16) ...The death penalty would be applied much more liberally for terrible crimes and it wouldn't take 15 years of appeals to carry it out.
So much for limited government. Funny how conservatives (I'm Libertarian) believes government screws things up (they do!) in most everything else, except for carrying out the death penalty, in which they believe they get it right 100% of the time. Evidence proves you wrong.
If every American was a Christian conservative Tea Partier...
1) …There would be fewer regulations, lower taxes, a business-friendly environment, and a much smaller government that would lead to considerably stronger economic growth and job creation. In fact, we'd probably have to dramatically increase the number of work permits we hand out to foreign workers, not because there are "jobs Americans won't do" (which don't actually exist), but because so many Americans would be employed that we'd have to bring in more people to do all of the available work.
2) ...The richest Americans would have...
If the death penalty became a constant and recognized consequence for the most terrible crimes, those crimes would be committed far less frequently over time. And if it were carried out more quickly, the deterrent would be even more powerful.
Fewer crimes = fewer death sentences = fewer wrongful executions.
One can argue too that when the State ceases to exact the ultimate vengeance against those who would harm innocent citizens, the State is complicit in their deaths.
The reason it takes so darn long for the State to execute someone in the first place is precisely so it can be sure it's zapping the right person.