Victor Hugo's "Plea Against the Death Penalty" (View it also against torture)

Victor Hugo

Look, examine, reflect. You hold capital punishment up as an example. Why? Because of what it teaches. And just what is it that you wish to teach by means of this example? That thou shalt not kill. And how do you teach that "thou shalt not kill"? By killing.

I have examined the death penalty under each of its 2 aspects: as a direct action, and as an indirect one. What does it come down to? Nothing but something horrible and useless, nothing but a way of shedding blood that is called a crime when an individual commits it, but is (sadly) called "justice" when society brings it about. Make no mistake, you lawmakers and judges, in the eyes of God as in those of conscience, what is a crime when individuals do it is no less an offense when society commits the deed.

Victor Hugo, Speech at the Constituent Assembly, September 15, 1848

Posted September 15, 2008 (Thanks to Dr. Rick Halperin, who posted this today on his site.)
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See this same urgent and wise polemic paraphrased as if against torture:

Look, examine, reflect. You hold torture up as an example. Why? Because of what it teaches. And just what is it that you wish to teach by means of this example? That thou shalt not torture?. And how do you teach that "thou shalt not torture"? By torturing?.

I have examined torture under each of its 2 aspects: as a direct action, and as an indirect one. What does it come down to? Nothing but something horrible and useless, nothing but a way torturing another person of flesh and blood--that is called a crime when an individual commits it--but is (sadly) allowed as "justice" against "terrorism" when society brings it about. Make no mistake, you lawmakers and judges, in the eyes of God as in those of conscience, what is a crime when individuals do it is no less an offense when society commits the deed.