Repeal the death penalty? [“Repeal the death penalty in 2015,” Public Forum, Feb. 5] Not a chance. If anything, it should be expanded to include other offenses that people know are just wrong but continue to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for rehabilitation, and forgiveness, to a point. But when an individual continues to do the same crime again and again, it’s obvious they cannot or will not be rehabilitated. Here are just a few of the crimes that should be added to the list.

• Identity theft; you know who you are.

• DUI; for a person to have three, four, five, or more offenses, they are not going to change.

• Robbery; the taking of someone else’s belongings should not be tolerated. Most politicians fall into this category.

• Computer hacking; again, it’s the taking of something that doesn’t belong to you.

• Pedophilia; punishment for this should be automatic. I should not, as a law-abiding citizen and taxpayer, have to pay for the rest of “your” life to teach you a lesson.

There are more offenses that should be included, but I’ve stirred the pot enough. The appeal process should be looked at, as well. A jury of your peers has found you guilty; you can’t keep searching until you find some bleeding heart that sides with you because, sadly, they are out there, and they throw a wrench in the whole process.

Now, some will use the old line that “The death penalty doesn’t deter the crime.” I won’t argue against that. The death penalty is punishment for the crime “you” committed, not a deterrent for others. It would be nice if they learned from your crime and punishment, but I don’t hold out much faith in that. The system will deal with their crime at a later time.

The line by Brian Dennehy in the movie “Silverado” says it best: “We’re gonna give you a fair trial, followed by a first-class hangin’.”

Jerry Clifton

Felton