Death penalty.

What is this idea trying to take away my morning ritual of watching the white hearse leave Raiford loaded with the earthly remains of some half-retarded killer who most of the time refused to plead out to life. ("Take a hard look at the real cost of the death penalty," March 1 News.)

Sen. Victor Crist, a law-and-order hero, made sure that the prosecutor always speaks last, an idea that has affected the conviction rate by almost 1 percent. He will now make sure that nobody will end the hearse race.

The people need to know that not hiring about 1,000 new cops is a small price to pay to be able to watch politicians puff out their chests and say, "I support the death penalty."

Sen. Crist knows full well the bleeding hearts on the U.S. Supreme Court want Florida to have unanimous verdicts for a death sentence; however, he knows any deviation from the "Via Sacre" would undermine his next breakfast oration at the Rotary Club of Greater Naples.

In our heart of hearts, we all know that the death penalty is a stench in the nostrils of almighty God, but since when did that ever trump pandering to the lesser angels of our nature?

Charles B. Tiffany

Kissimmee