Oh Shasta, that's horrible. I'm so sorry to hear that.
I would like to think that if someone killed a loved one -- a thought so awful I can barely type it -- I wouldn't change my principles. It's true that you never know until you're in that situation, but I have seen parents ask courts not to impose the death penalty on the murderers of their children, and I admired them a lot and hoped I could do the same in their place.
Forgiveness is another matter entirely. I'd have a lot of trouble with that.
On other issues:
-- I would not impose the death penalty on someone who asked for it. The government is not obliged to honor murderers' requests.
-- Child rapists, I'm not sure how I'd handle. Maybe put them away for life. I wouldn't kill them.
-- Euthanasia and abortion are entirely different issues. I don't think I oppose euthanasia for someone who is near the end of life anyway with a fatal disease -- though I'd have to be sure sure sure sure there was no hope of a cure. As for abortion, the question there is not whether one is for or against killing, it's whether one believes the fetus is a full human being. I think I'd be against it for a fully viable fetus.
David, thanks for posting those maps and other info. Shocking how few states oppose it. Did you know that most of the Democratic candidates for president support the death penalty? I think Chris Dodds is the only one who doesn't!