First of all, the slogan misses an important point. The death penalty does not punish people for killing, but for murder. Killing is justified when it is done in self-defense. Killing means to cause death. Murder, on the other hand, is defined as, "the unlawful and malicious or premeditated killing of one human being by another".
If it is not morally okay to rape rapists, is it acceptable to execute murderers? The answer is simple. Raping the rapist will only cause someone else to degrade themselves by doing it. It will not prevent the rapist from raping again. Executing murderers prevents them from committing their crime again, and because of that protects innocent victims. The good, therefore, outweighs the bad, and the executioner is morally justified in taking the murderer's life. On the other hand, if the abolitionist argues that killing is always wrong, then he must also admit that killing in self-defense is unacceptable and should be punished. Few are willing to do so. The abolitionist may choose to argue that the state should never kill.
If it is not morally okay to rape rapists, is it acceptable to execute murderers? The answer is simple. Raping the rapist will only cause someone else to degrade themselves by doing it. It will not prevent the rapist from raping again. Executing murderers prevents them from committing their crime again, and because of that protects innocent victims. The good, therefore, outweighs the bad, and the executioner is morally justified in taking the murderer's life. On the other hand, if the abolitionist argues that killing is always wrong, then he must also admit that killing in self-defense is unacceptable and should be punished. Few are willing to do so. The abolitionist may choose to argue that the state should never kill.
