Tonight, the state of Utah executed a man for committing murder. He'll be one of many this year I expect, although we don't see as much coverage normally as this one got. The method of killing was by firing squad. That makes it pretty dramatic -- more so than the norm anyway. But really, it's always dramatic when a state executes someone, don't you think?
I'm not a bleeding heart, liberal or otherwise. When a murder victim is found, perhaps a young woman or a child is kidnapped, abused and killed, I feel a need for vengeance too. But that's what it is -- vengeance. And that is not supposed to be ours. If you believe in a higher power, as most say they do around here, then why can't we be content, or at least patient, to let God do the judging?
I do not believe that any murderer thinks about the death penalty prior to committing his or her particular crime. That just doesn't happen. That probably happens after the fact -- and then only if they think they'll be caught. So I cannot believe that the death penalty is any kind of a deterrent. What it is, is us taking revenge on the monster for the horrible thing they've done.
Do the murderers deserve to be executed? Yes, I think they do. When you take a life, you forfeit your own. We absolutely do have the right to take away your right to exist in order to protect ourselves, our families, our fellow humans, if you are such an animal that we can never trust you to be free among us. I have to say though, when the appointed hour comes, I do feel that we would be a better, healthier people if we tendered mercy to some of them, if not all.
My strongest arguments against capital punishment are these -- economics and assurance. It is reportedly cheaper to sentence someone to life in prison with no possible parole -- and I would prefer that in every case if it could be done that way (no chance of them getting out). Why then spend the extra money to execute someone? Just lock 'em up, and throw away the key.
For me, just that one out of ten chance (or whatever the odds really are) that we have the wrong guy is enough to make me think we're doing this wrong. Once you shoot him, or hang him, or put him to sleep, you can never take it back. It's irrevocable. The justice system is definitely flawed -- and over-zealous prosecutors and cops, as well as judges and juries can and do make mistakes. I would be willing to let one-hundred child-killers live their four-score and twelve in a dank cell, rather than have one wrongly-convicted bastard be executed.
I think, in the end, this is more about us than it is them. And I think we may be judged harshly for our hard hearts; it's our nation, it's our law, and it's our justice system. We are responsible.
This killing the killers? I wish we'd give it up.
I'm not a bleeding heart, liberal or otherwise. When a murder victim is found, perhaps a young woman or a child is kidnapped, abused and killed, I feel a need for vengeance too. But that's what it is -- vengeance. And that is not supposed to be ours. If you believe in a higher power, as most say they do around here, then why can't we be content, or at least patient, to let God do the judging?
I do not believe that any murderer thinks about the death penalty prior to committing his or her particular crime. That just doesn't happen. That probably happens after the fact -- and then only if they think they'll be caught. So I cannot believe that the death penalty is any kind of a deterrent. What it is, is us taking revenge on the monster for the horrible thing they've done.
Do the murderers deserve to be executed? Yes, I think they do. When you take a life, you forfeit your own. We absolutely do have the right to take away your right to exist in order to protect ourselves, our families, our fellow humans, if you are such an animal that we can never trust you to be free among us. I have to say though, when the appointed hour comes, I do feel that we would be a better, healthier people if we tendered mercy to some of them, if not all.
My strongest arguments against capital punishment are these -- economics and assurance. It is reportedly cheaper to sentence someone to life in prison with no possible parole -- and I would prefer that in every case if it could be done that way (no chance of them getting out). Why then spend the extra money to execute someone? Just lock 'em up, and throw away the key.
For me, just that one out of ten chance (or whatever the odds really are) that we have the wrong guy is enough to make me think we're doing this wrong. Once you shoot him, or hang him, or put him to sleep, you can never take it back. It's irrevocable. The justice system is definitely flawed -- and over-zealous prosecutors and cops, as well as judges and juries can and do make mistakes. I would be willing to let one-hundred child-killers live their four-score and twelve in a dank cell, rather than have one wrongly-convicted bastard be executed.
I think, in the end, this is more about us than it is them. And I think we may be judged harshly for our hard hearts; it's our nation, it's our law, and it's our justice system. We are responsible.
This killing the killers? I wish we'd give it up.
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