Second-degree murder still speaks to an offender's obvious lack of concern for human life. They may not have planned to kill whoever it was that they killed, but their conduct was such that a death was possible based on their actions. On that basis, sure, a soldier killing someone in action could be construed as murder. It wouldn't be construed that way by me or anyone else I know, though.

As for an execution being murder, I know that there are laws and statutes in place that protect an executioner from being considered a murderer. I know that execution is considered a "justifiable homicide." What I feel, and what I know, however, are two different things. It doesn't sit well with me that a state with capital punishment can kill someone because they killed someone else. I don't call that punishment, I call that hypocrisy.

And to reiterate, I'm not saying this guy doesn't deserve to die for what he did. What I'm saying is I don't believe in capital punishment carried out by the state. Period.