Life/Death Penalty piece misses point

Tribune deputy editorial page editor John P. McCormick missed two key points in his op ed "Ask Death Row: No, rotting in prison isn't worse than being executed."

He implies that former Gov. George Ryan was acting solely on behalf of 167 death row inmates when he commuted their death sentence to life for 164 and 40 years for three). He omitted that Ryan was acting, first and foremost, on behalf of society in general as a means of making i...t more civilized. In Illinois, at least, Ryan was ultimately successful. His January 31, 2000, announcement suspending Illinois' death penalty was one of the most moving and humane public policy speeches I ever heard.

Second, McCormick's piece, by analyzing which is a more vengeful punishment, life or death, tacitly supports capital punishment and completely ignores that vengeance should not be the concern of the penal system for heinous crimes. It should be to secure the public from violent offenders; provide justice, not vengeance, for the victims; and to discourage anti social behavior in others.

McCormick could better serve Trib readers pondering how to reduce the 63% national approval rate for the death penalty. I'd suggest he sit down with former governor George Ryan. He could learn a lot.