--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Capital punishment is the source of many…" description: "\"Capital punishment is the source of many an argument, both good and bad.\" — Marilyn vos Savant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f1/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_argument_capital-punishment-is-the-source-of-many_1469539.png" --- # Capital punishment is the source of many an argument, both… ![“Capital punishment is the source of many an argument, both good and bad.” quote by Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f1/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_argument_capital-punishment-is-the-source-of-many_1469539.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f1/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_argument_capital-punishment-is-the-source-of-many_1469539.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f1/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_argument_capital-punishment-is-the-source-of-many_1469539.png) > “Capital punishment is the source of many an argument, both good and bad.” [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Capital punishment sparks intense debate, with arguments both for and against its use. **In simple terms:** Execution is a controversial issue. Key Takeaway Consider alternatives to execution. Themes justice ethics law public policy punishment Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - court rulings - legislative debates - activist campaigns - victim advocacy Key Concepts deterrence retribution human rights state power Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives could replace capital punishment? - How do societal values shape views on execution? A Different Perspective The debate often overlooks systemic biases and wrongful convictions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Capital punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital-punishment/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Good and bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-bad/) [Penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalty/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) ## Related quotes > [I favor capital punishment. It saves lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-favor-capital-punishment-it-saves-lives/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [That led me to say that when push comes to shove, I'm against capital punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/that-led-me-to-say-that-when-push-comes-to-shove-i-m-against-capital/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [I have come to think that capital punishment should be abolished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/i-have-come-to-think-that-capital-punishment-should-be-abolished/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [Capital punishment turns the state into a murderer. But imprisonment turns the state into a gay dungeon-master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/capital-punishment-turns-the-state-into-a-murderer-but-imprisonment/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [Like cellulite creams or hair-loss tonics, capital punishment is one of those panaceas that isn't. Only it costs a whole lot more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/like-cellulite-creams-or-hair-loss-tonics-capital-punishment-is-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know if the question is whether you believe in capital punishment anymore. I think the greater question is its effectiveness and given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tani-cantil-sakauye/i-don-t-know-if-the-question-is-whether-you-believe-in-capital/) Tani Cantil-Sakauye > [Banning capital punishment takes us to a higher state of consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/banning-capital-punishment-takes-us-to-a-higher-state-of-consciousness/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [I would say that there are a lot of people who currently disagree with the death penalty, I just hope that it's never one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cabello/i-would-say-that-there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-currently-disagree/) John Cabello > [I think capital punishment's day is done in this country. I don't think it's fairly applied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-think-capital-punishment-s-day-is-done-in-this-country-i-don-t/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/capital-punishment-is-our-society-s-recognition-of-the-sanctity-of/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [One area of law more than any other besmirches the constitutional vision of human dignity. . . . The barbaric death penalty violates our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-brennan/one-area-of-law-more-than-any-other-besmirches-the-constitutional/) [William J. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-brennan/) > [I'm always theoretically opposed to capital punishment as a matter of policy; like, I don't believe a state should put its citizens to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/i-m-always-theoretically-opposed-to-capital-punishment-as-a-matter-of/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [Most people approve of capital punishment, but most people wouldn't do the hangman's job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/most-people-approve-of-capital-punishment-but-most-people-wouldn-t-do/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“I’ve no patience with modern humanitarian scruples about capital punishment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-ve-no-patience-with-modern-humanitarian-scruples-about-capital/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I believe that inside many Americans lies certain uneasiness about capital punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/i-believe-that-inside-many-americans-lies-certain-uneasiness-about/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) ## More by Marilyn vos Savant > [There's plenty of intelligence in the world, but the courage to do things differently is in short supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/there-s-plenty-of-intelligence-in-the-world-but-the-courage-to-do/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Society needs people who can manage projects in addition to handling individual tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/society-needs-people-who-can-manage-projects-in-addition-to-handling/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [If you never heard opportunity knock, maybe you're never at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-you-never-heard-opportunity-knock-maybe-you-re-never-at-home/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/email-instant-messaging-and-cell-phones-give-us-fabulous/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Experts say you can't concentrate on more than one task at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/experts-say-you-can-t-concentrate-on-more-than-one-task-at-a-time/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [“If your head tells you one thing and your heart tells you another ,before you do anything,you should first decide wether you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-your-head-tells-you-one-thing-and-your-heart-tells-you-another/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom 'to' and freedom 'from.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/what-is-the-essence-of-america-finding-and-maintaining-that-perfect/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [It is a lot easier to prove that you don't love someone than it is to prove that you do, but one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/it-is-a-lot-easier-to-prove-that-you-don-t-love-someone-than-it-is-to/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [I suspect that some apparently homosexual people are really heterosexuals who deeply phobic about the opposite sex or have other emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/i-suspect-that-some-apparently-homosexual-people-are-really/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [A friend is someone who stays by your side all through the troubles he's caused you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/a-friend-is-someone-who-stays-by-your-side-all-through-the-troubles/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Loving behavior contributes to the group at the expense of the individual. Competition contributes to the survival of the individual at the expense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/loving-behavior-contributes-to-the-group-at-the-expense-of-the/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to suffer wearing a necktie or slightly high heels for an entire evening without complaint or early removal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-suffer-wearing-a-necktie-or-slightly-high-heels-for-an/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to describe anything visual, such as a street scene, in words that convey your meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-describe-anything-visual-such-as-a-street-scene-in-words/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to sneeze without sounding ridiculous. That means neither stifling yourself or spraying your immediate vicinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-sneeze-without-sounding-ridiculous-that-means-neither/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is/) [Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) [Explore all 149 Marilyn vos Savant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) ## More Argument quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) > [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. 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