Richard A. Viguerie, who has been called “one of the creators of the modern conservative movement" by The Nation magazine, recently wrote an op-ed in which he discusses how his conservative ideology led him to oppose the death penalty and calls for a national moratorium on the death penalty. "The fact is, I don't understand why more conservatives don't oppose the death penalty," writes Viguerie. He argues the standard conservative position of support for capital punishment clashes with traditional conservatism, writing that the death penalty "is, after all, a system set up under laws established by politicians (too many of whom lack principles); enforced by prosecutors (many of whom want to become politicians—perhaps a character flaw?—and who prefer wins over justice); and adjudicated by judges (too many of whom administer personal preference rather than the law).” Viguerie continues to argue that capital punishment goes against conservative values, adding, "Conservatives have every reason to believe the death penalty system is no different from any politicized, costly, inefficient, bureaucratic, government-run operation, which we conservatives know are rife with injustice." The full piece may be read below:
