The U.S. is one of five countries on earth that puts to death people who're under the age of 18 when they committed a crime.
Nigeria.
Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia and Iran?
Yeah. So, that's a list we definitely want to be on.
“Take this Sabbath Day” · Season 1
In this episode: Josiah Bartlet (2), Toby Ziegler (2), Charlie Young (2), Josh Lyman (1), Sam Seaborn (1), Donna Moss (1)
I can hold my liquor.
No, you can't.
I can drink with the best of 'em, Donna.
You can't drink with any of 'em, Josh.
I'm a politician, okay? I can drink.
You have a very sensitive system.
I wish you'd stop telling people that. It makes me sound like an idiot.
You're gonna have two drinks and spend the rest of the weekend sleeping it off.
The Torah doesn't prohibit capital punishment.
RGRabbi Glassman
No.
It says, 'An eye for an eye'.
RGRabbi Glassman
You know what it also says? It says a rebellious child can be brought to the city gates and stoned to death. It says homosexuality is an abomination and punishable by death. It says men can be polygamous and slavery is acceptable. For all I know, that thinking reflected the best wisdom of its time, but it's just plain wrong by any modern standard. Society has a right to protect itself, but it doesn't have a right to be vengeful. It has a right to punish, but it doesn't have a right to kill.
RGRabbi Glassman
Say what you will about the Catholic Church, but their position on life is unimpeachable: no abortion, no death penalty.
I spent yesterday...
RGRabbi Glassman
You spent yesterday hoping the President wouldn't call the Pope.
You're damn right I did.
RGRabbi Glassman
If he had done it, after doing so, the fear of every non-Catholic who voted for him would be realized.
Congratulations Rabbi Glassman, you may now join the White House communications staff!
I want you to know that I had a number of people on my staff search for a reason the public would find palatable to commute the sentence. Technicality. Any evidence of racism.
FCFather Cavanaugh
So your staff spent the weekend looking for a way out.
Yeah.
FCFather Cavanaugh
Like the kid in right field who doesn't want the ball to get hit to him.
I'm the leader of a democracy, Tom. 71% of the people support capital punishment. The people have spoken. The courts have spoken.
FCFather Cavanaugh
Did you call the Pope?
Yeah.
FCFather Cavanaugh
And how do you do that?
Oh, for crying out loud, Tom. I open my mouth and say, "Somebody get me the Pope."
FCFather Cavanaugh
[raising a finger to emphasize his point] Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. President, but I was thinking... [pause] You're just this kid from my parish, and now you're calling the Pope.
Anyway...I looked for a way out, I really did.
FCFather Cavanaugh
"Vengeance is mine," sayeth the Lord. You know what that means? God is the only one who gets to kill people.
I know.
FCFather Cavanaugh
That was your way out.
I know.
FCFather Cavanaugh
Did you pray?
I did, Tom. I know it's hard to believe, but I prayed for wisdom.
FCFather Cavanaugh
And none came?
It never has. And I'm a little pissed off about that. [glances at his watch as it hits midnight] I'm not kidding.
FCFather Cavanaugh
You know, you remind me of the man that lived by the river. He heard a radio report that the river was going to rush up and flood the town. And that all the residents should evacuate their homes. But the man said, "I'm religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me."
The waters rose up. A guy in a row boat came along and he shouted, "Hey, hey you! You in there. The town is flooding. Let me take you to safety." But the man shouted back, "I'm religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me."
A helicopter was hovering overhead. And a guy with a megaphone shouted, "Hey you, you down there. The town is flooding. Let me drop this ladder and I'll take you to safety." But the man shouted back that he was religious, that he prayed, that God loved him and that God will take him to safety.
Well... the man drowned. And standing at the gates of St. Peter, he demanded an audience with God. "Lord," he said, "I'm a religious man, I pray. I thought you loved me. Why did this happen?" God said, "I sent you a radio report, a helicopter, and a guy in a rowboat. What the hell are you doing here?" [pause] He sent you a priest, a rabbi, and a Quaker, Mr. President. Not to mention his son, Jesus Christ. What do you want from him?
Charlie, I'm going to ask you a question. And this is one of those times that it's OK to tell me I've stepped over the line, and I should shut my mouth, okay?
Okay.
What happened to the guy who shot your mother?
They haven't found him yet, sir.
If they did, would you want to see him executed? Killing a police officer is a capital crime. I figured you must have thought about it.
Yes, sir.
And?
I wouldn't want to see him executed, Mr. President. [pause] I'd want to do it myself.
[looks thoughtful] Yeah.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The West Wing pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.