Another Way?

So, I'm not much of a news hound, but I did read a snippet today that caught my attention.  The man responsible for the sniper shooting spree in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC in 2002 was executed in a Virginia jail tonight.  At the time of the killings, we were living in Fredericksburg, VA, the location of one of the shootings.  I remember the widespread fear about where the killer would strike next and a huge relief when he and his teenage accomplice were finally caught.

Seven years later, the governor of Virginia denied a request to convert his sentence to life in prison, and he was put to death.  I don't know about you, but I am always uneasy when the government takes a life.  I could probably argue both sides in a debate on the death penalty but in my gut, I hate it.  That so much violence would end in more violence--in the name of justice--leaves me feeling empty and wondering--isn't there another way?