Capital punishment Quote by William J. Brennan
“Capital punishment...treats members of the human race...as objects to be toyed with and discarded.”
About This Quote
Capital punishment treats humans as disposable objects, lacking respect for life.
In simple terms: Execution devalues human life.
Key Takeaway
Reconsider use of death penalty.
Themes
ethics
justice
human rights
Mood
somber
advocative
Type
ethical
political
When to use this quote
- legal system
- policy debates
- human rights activism
Key Concepts
value of life
state power
Practical Applications
- advocate abolition
- promote alternatives
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternatives exist to capital punishment?
- How does society value life?
A Different Perspective
May ignore deterrence arguments.
![“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 committed at the foot of the scaffold.” quote by Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b85/marquis-de-sade-1964_capital-punishment_the-law-which-attempts-a-man-s-life-capi_99486.jpg)
![“[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 are basic human rights I believe that every human being has. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the United Nations says it for me. And it says there are…” quote by Sister Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c4/sister-helen-prejean-94083_an-eye-for-an-eye_t-here-are-some-human-rights-that-are-so_222080.jpg)
