Is the death penalty immoral?

[Jon]

I am not sure what the difference is between excusable and justifiable.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Justifiable = self defense or defense of another.
Excusable = not entirely sure since Bierce was being "literary" at the time. In general, if a young child finds a gun and shoots his playmate, the young child's actions are excusable due to his lack of mens rea and comprehension of his action. (The person who left the gun around will get tons of heat, but the child's actions are excusable.)

 

[Jon]

Yes, I can see the excusable angle now. Or if it was an adult, someone throws a gun at them and they pull the trigger accidently when they catch it. I would hope that is not a common thing over there.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Usually, no. Throwing a gun doesn't usually happen. I'm surprised you brought that one up given that so many folks think everyone in the USA has a gun anyway. Why would I throw a gun to someone who probably has one already?

But in fact, guns aren't THAT common over here despite the lurid headlines. Now dropping a gun that happens to have a sensitive trigger? That will happen now and then, and if the bullet kills someone as a result, the person who dropped it might be charged with negligent homicide.