The death penalty: Part One

I oppose the death penalty........well........in most situations I guess. I suppose Charles Manson should probably have been executed. But wait, is that just the vengeance side of me talking? As a Christian, shouldn't I support people being punished by the laws of the land for doing wrong but allowed to live as long as they can have an opportunity to meet Christ? Wow............ this really wasn't going to be a post going in that direction. But honestly, that right there is as strong an argument against the death penalty in my mind as anyone who claims to follow Christ can put forth. So, I think I'll do another post at another point, maybe my next one, about the arguments and examples I was going to put forth. I'd love to hear some thoughts on this.