--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sole motivating factor behind the…" description: "\"The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a government that forbids killing among its ci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg" --- # The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is… ![“The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a government that forbids killing among its citizens should not be in the business of killing people itself.” quote by Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg) > “The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a government that forbids killing among its citizens should not be in the business of killing people itself.” [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The death penalty is driven by revenge rather than true justice, and a state that bans killing among citizens should not execute people itself. **In simple terms:** Vengeance, not justice, drives the death penalty; a state that bans killing shouldn't kill. Key Takeaway Oppose capital punishment; demand consistent non‑violence policies. Themes justice revenge state power ethics Mood critical reflective Type political ethical When to use this quote - legal reform - policy debate - human rights advocacy - criminal justice reform Key Concepts retributive justice state legitimacy human rights Questions to Reflect On - Is vengeance ever a justifiable basis for law? - How can societies reconcile non‑kill policies with capital punishment? A Different Perspective Punishment may be seen as deterrent despite moral concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-penalty/) [Factors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factors/) [Forbids Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbids-killing-1143497/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-citizens-4224649/) [Killing people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-people/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Penalties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalties/) [Penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalty/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sole/) [Vengeance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vengeance/) [Vengeance Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vengeance-justice-1140402/) ## Related quotes > [The same divine authority that forbids the killing of a human being establishes certain exceptions, as when God authorizes killing by a general law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/the-same-divine-authority-that-forbids-the-killing-of-a-human-being/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“We have strict rules—” “You’re murdering innocent people,” she said, suddenly short of breath. “Our government is killing its own citizens.” “We’re following orders,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-t-bradley/we-have-strict-rules-you-re-murdering-innocent-people-she-said/) [Arthur T. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-t-bradley/) > [“Vengeance stems from a love of justice and a desire to redress wrongs. But revenge is damning. Three faces has the Night Angel, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/vengeance-stems-from-a-love-of-justice-and-a-desire-to-redress-wrongs/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [Never get vengeance and justice mixed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-spencer/never-get-vengeance-and-justice-mixed-up/) [Robert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-spencer/) > [When it comes to world news, attitude is what marks the distinction between justice and vengeance. Justice is pure, but vengeance brings more ruin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-it-comes-to-world-news-attitude-is-what-marks-the-distinction/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Justice comes from vengeance but that justice only breeds more vengeance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagato-uzumaki/justice-comes-from-vengeance-but-that-justice-only-breeds-more/) [Nagato Uzumaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagato-uzumaki/) > [We are but men, drawn to act in the name of revenge we deem to be justice. But when we call our vengeance justice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pain/we-are-but-men-drawn-to-act-in-the-name-of-revenge-we-deem-to-be/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pain/) > [“Is his work vengeance? Or Justice? There is the finest line between the two and when i try to focus on it, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/is-his-work-vengeance-or-justice-there-is-the-finest-line-between-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/revenge-is-an-act-of-passion-vengeance-of-justice-injuries-are/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“We are but men, drawn to act in the name of revenge we deem to be "justice". But when we call our vengeance "justice",…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagato-uzumaki/we-are-but-men-drawn-to-act-in-the-name-of-revenge-we-deem-to-be-2/) [nagato uzumaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagato-uzumaki/) > [The Death Penalty: Killing people that kill people to show people that killing people is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-death-penalty-killing-people-that-kill-people-to-show-people-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You're wrong, you know," Susan said. "She doesn't belong here. I'm against the death penalty. I don't think the state should be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-cain/you-re-wrong-you-know-susan-said-she-doesn-t-belong-here-i-m-against/) [Chelsea Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-cain/) > [I support the death penalty and will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-support-the-death-penalty-and-will-continue-to-do-that/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [The death penalty system is fundamentally flawed - it is inequitable, ineffective, and it has no place in this Commonwealth or this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-northam/the-death-penalty-system-is-fundamentally-flawed-it-is-inequitable/) [Ralph Northam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-northam/) > [Our legal system, including the police, is anti-Dalit and anti-poor. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) [Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a government that forbids killing among its citizens should not be in the business of killing people itself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Flynt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-death-penalty-is-vengeance-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-death-penalty-is-vengeance-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e40/larry-flynt-14805_behinds_the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-de_743948.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a…” — Larry Flynt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Larry Flynt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The sole motivating factor behind the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-death-penalty-is-vengeance-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-death-penalty-is-vengeance-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```