Unlike Jonah Goldberg, I do not support capital punishment, but Goldberg is absolutely right when he argues that the recent Supreme Court decision forbidding the execution of low IQ individuals is inconsistent with the fact that we regularly grant both rights and responsibilities to such individuals. Attacking a New York Times editorial in favor of the ruling, Goldberg writes,
If liberal editorialists want to say that retarded people cannot be held accountable for their actions, fine. But let’s be consistent about this standard. The retarded have voting rights. They can marry, have children and in some cases drive cars.
. . .How can we on the one hand applaud giving major responsibilities to the retarded but on the other hand recoil in horror at the suggestion we hold them responsible when they fail?