--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We don't know if capital punishment is a…" description: "\"We don't know if capital punishment is a deterrent, but we know that men we execute will not murder again.\" — Mario Puzo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png" --- # We don't know if capital punishment is a deterrent, but we… ![“We don't know if capital punishment is a deterrent, but we know that men we execute will not murder again.” quote by Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png) > “We don't know if capital punishment is a deterrent, but we know that men we execute will not murder again.” [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) ## 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 stops execution, but not future murders. **In simple terms:** Executed men won’t kill again. Key Takeaway Consider alternatives to death penalty. Themes justice deterrence ethics Mood critical thoughtful Type ethical legal When to use this quote - policy debate - victim advocacy - criminal reform Key Concepts Criminology law Questions to Reflect On - What are moral costs? A Different Perspective Does execution deter crime? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capital punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital-punishment/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) ## Related quotes > [I support the death penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly and justly, capital punishment is a deterrent against future violence and will save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-support-the-death-penalty-because-i-believe-if-administered-swiftly/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The death penalty is no more effective a deterrent than life imprisonment... It is also evident that the burden of capital punishment falls upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurgood-marshall/the-death-penalty-is-no-more-effective-a-deterrent-than-life/) [Thurgood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurgood-marshall/) > [I have now come to the conclusion (roughly) that capital punishment is defensible, if it can be shown to have a deterrent effect on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-have-now-come-to-the-conclusion-roughly-that-capital-punishment-is/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [Capital punishment? It makes no sense as a policy: It's not a deterrent, and economically it's a disaster. It's very clear that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-goldwyn/capital-punishment-it-makes-no-sense-as-a-policy-it-s-not-a-deterrent/) [Tony Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-goldwyn/) > [It is said to be a deterrent. I cannot agree…I do not now believe that any one of the hundreds of executions I carried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pierrepoint/it-is-said-to-be-a-deterrent-i-cannot-agree-i-do-not-now-believe-that/) Albert Pierrepoint > [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 > [It is significant that, as innocent babies are killed, and capital punishment is withheld from their murderers, the same men who plead for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/it-is-significant-that-as-innocent-babies-are-killed-and-capital/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [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/) > [Capital punishment would be more effective as a preventive measure if it were administered prior to the crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/capital-punishment-would-be-more-effective-as-a-preventive-measure-if/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [But now inquiry is being made concerning these issues. First, can any believer enlist in the military? Second, can any soldier, even those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/but-now-inquiry-is-being-made-concerning-these-issues-first-can-any/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Capital punishment...treats members of the human race...as objects to be toyed with and discarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-brennan/capital-punishment-treats-members-of-the-human-race-as-objects-to-be/) [William J. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-brennan/) > [To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/to-take-a-life-when-a-life-has-been-lost-is-revenge-not-justice/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Capital punishment kills immediately, whereas lifetime imprisonment does so slowly. Which executioner is more humane? The one who kills you in a few minutes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/capital-punishment-kills-immediately-whereas-lifetime-imprisonment/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [ The law which attempts a man's life \[capital punishment\] is impractical, unjust, inadmissible. It has never repressed crime--for a second crime is every day… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/the-law-which-attempts-a-man-s-life-capital-punishment-is-impractical/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [Let us leave the EEC, abolish human rights laws, take TV sets, pool tables and phones out of prisons, bring back corporal and capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bates/let-us-leave-the-eec-abolish-human-rights-laws-take-tv-sets-pool/) [Ken Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bates/) ## More by Mario Puzo > [“There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them.They can't be justified.You just do them.Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/there-are-things-that-have-to-be-done-and-you-do-them-and-you-never/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“going to the mattresses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/going-to-the-mattresses/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [I want to tell you a story. I have no other vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/i-want-to-tell-you-a-story-i-have-no-other-vanity/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Wasn't it true that Sometimes the greatest misfortunes brought unforseen rewards? -Don Corleone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/wasn-t-it-true-that-sometimes-the-greatest-misfortunes-brought/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Pope Alexander smiled. He seemed more amused with the story than horrified. "The Baglioni are true believers," he said. "They believe in paradise. Such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/pope-alexander-smiled-he-seemed-more-amused-with-the-story-than/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [It was a lie but he believed in telling lies to people. Truth telling and medicine just didn't go together except in dire emergencies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/it-was-a-lie-but-he-believed-in-telling-lies-to-people-truth-telling/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [God seemed to be having a hard time killing him, and he'd be damned if he was going to make the job easy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/god-seemed-to-be-having-a-hard-time-killing-him-and-he-d-be-damned-if/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Everything you do in life use percentage as your god.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/everything-you-do-in-life-use-percentage-as-your-god/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“But up until that time I want you just to follow my lead and don’t worry. There are negotiations going on that will solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/but-up-until-that-time-i-want-you-just-to-follow-my-lead-and-don-t/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“My dear Guiliano," he said, "how is it that you and Don Croce do not join together to rule Sicily? He has the wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/my-dear-guiliano-he-said-how-is-it-that-you-and-don-croce-do-not-join/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“It pleased him to see the hurt look on her face, the tears springing into her eyes. She might be a daughter of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/it-pleased-him-to-see-the-hurt-look-on-her-face-the-tears-springing/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“We are not responsible to the .90 calibers the pezzonovantis who take it upon themselves to decide what we shall do with out lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/we-are-not-responsible-to-the-90-calibers-the-pezzonovantis-who-take/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“I do not seek it or desire it. If I must, I will accept the punishment for all my sins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/i-do-not-seek-it-or-desire-it-if-i-must-i-will-accept-the-punishment/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/friendship-is-everything-friendship-is-more-than-talent-it-is-more/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) [Explore all 171 Mario Puzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) ## More Capital punishment quotes > [“The next time believers tell you that 'separation of church and state' does not appear in our founding document, tell them to stop using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/the-next-time-believers-tell-you-that-separation-of-church-and-state/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [“The very mention of crucifixion was taboo in polite Roman circles, since it was the lowest form of capital punishment, reserved for slaves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-very-mention-of-crucifixion-was-taboo-in-polite-roman-circles/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [It is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to put a single innocent one to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/it-is-better-and-more-satisfactory-to-acquit-a-thousand-guilty/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [Let us leave the EEC, abolish human rights laws, take TV sets, pool tables and phones out of prisons, bring back corporal and capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bates/let-us-leave-the-eec-abolish-human-rights-laws-take-tv-sets-pool/) [Ken Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bates/) > [ The law which attempts a man's life \[capital punishment\] is impractical, unjust, inadmissible. It has never repressed crime--for a second crime is every day… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/the-law-which-attempts-a-man-s-life-capital-punishment-is-impractical/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [Capital punishment kills immediately, whereas lifetime imprisonment does so slowly. Which executioner is more humane? The one who kills you in a few minutes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/capital-punishment-kills-immediately-whereas-lifetime-imprisonment/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/to-take-a-life-when-a-life-has-been-lost-is-revenge-not-justice/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Capital punishment...treats members of the human race...as objects to be toyed with and discarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-brennan/capital-punishment-treats-members-of-the-human-race-as-objects-to-be/) [William J. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-brennan/) > [But now inquiry is being made concerning these issues. First, can any believer enlist in the military? Second, can any soldier, even those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/but-now-inquiry-is-being-made-concerning-these-issues-first-can-any/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Capital punishment would be more effective as a preventive measure if it were administered prior to the crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/capital-punishment-would-be-more-effective-as-a-preventive-measure-if/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [ “\[T\]here are some human rights that are so deep that we can't negotiate them away. I mean people do heinous, terrible things. But there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-helen-prejean/t-here-are-some-human-rights-that-are-so-deep-that-we-can-t-negotiate/) Sister Helen Prejean > [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/) > [It is significant that, as innocent babies are killed, and capital punishment is withheld from their murderers, the same men who plead for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/it-is-significant-that-as-innocent-babies-are-killed-and-capital/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [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 > [“Zwingli's introduction of capital punishment for those who differed from him on points of doctrine..." p179”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-h-broadbent-the-pilgrim-church/zwingli-s-introduction-of-capital-punishment-for-those-who-differed/) [E.H. Broadbent- The Pilgrim Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-h-broadbent-the-pilgrim-church/) [Browse all 209 Capital punishment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital-punishment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We don't know if capital punishment is a deterrent, but we know that men we execute will not murder again.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mario Puzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a-deterrent-but-we-know-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capital punishment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a-deterrent-but-we-know-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/mario-puzo-2187_capital-punishment_we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a_2974254.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We don't know if capital punishment is a deterrent, but we know that men we execute will not murder again.” — Mario Puzo", "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": "Mario Puzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We don't know if capital punishment...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a-deterrent-but-we-know-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/we-don-t-know-if-capital-punishment-is-a-deterrent-but-we-know-that/#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 } } ] } ```