Violence begets violence

The Cover Story "Texas Tackles Its Crime Problem," July 26, fails to mention the dark side of the Texas criminal justice system - the ghastly parade of death row inmates being executed at an ever-increasing rate.

Texans concerned over rising rates of violent crime would do well to consider the evidence that the death penalty does nothing to deter it; rather, the death penalty contributes to the general climate of violence by demonstrating that vengeance and killing can be acceptable to society. Steven McAllister, Rockport, Maine

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