The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995             TAG: 9509210026
SECTION: COMMENTARY               PAGE: J4   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   25 lines

MURDER, TOO

Regarding James Kilpatrick's ``Let us be deadly certain on death penalty'' (Perspectives, Sept. 10):

This report read much like a cat chasing its tail. In one paragraph, Mr. Kilpatrick wants to set aside the ``moral issues of life or death'' and talk about money. He ends the report wanting ``to be as certain as certain can be that what we are doing is right.''

Mr. Kilpatrick is a reasonably intelligent man. But the rationalized nonsense in his column is a good example of attempting to justify murder. Whether committed by a person who needs to be permanently removed from society or by society, it is an act of insanity.

ROBERT J. LEMONS

Norfolk, Sept. 12, 1995 by CNB