Recent events in OK remind me of something about death penalty supporters that baffles me. It is often the most politically conservative folks who support the death penalty the most enthusiasm. These same conservatives often have a strong mistrust of government (especially the federal government). They often wish to reduce the role of government, advocate the right to own guns as way to protect their freedoms (the assumption that this might include protecting themselves against the government). They don't trust the government when it comes to education (ex: popularity of homeschooling) They don't trust the government when it comes to making healthcare decisions (ex: extreme fear of socialized medicine and "death panels"). They don't trust the government to do much of anything. And yet, they trust the government to make decisions about who gets to live and who gets to die. This baffles me. Am I missing something?