'Til death do us part
Following a state study commission recommendation, New Jersey seems all set to abolish capital punishment. This is basically a moot point since in the 25 years that New Jersey has had the power to kill certain convicts, it has not used it.
What's the use of having the gizmos to send murderers on to wherever it is they go if you're not going to use them. It's like keeping that "in the shell egg scrambler'' you bought after watching some late-night infomercial and not taking it out of the box. Use it or lose it, some people say.
I've always been ambivalent about the death penalty. It seems to me that there are some people who are so far beyond the pale that the possibility of rehabilitation is laughable. And redemption? Probably not going to happen, but that's not really my call, is it? Still, "Sic semper tyrannis'' and all that (Saddam Hussein, anyone?)
On the other hand, innocent people have been executed (Jesus, anyone?)
And 30 years in an 8x10 cell is no day at the beach and may be what has been called a "fate worse than death.''
But even as I get older, less patient and more conservative, the one thing that stops me from a full-throated endorsement of Old Sparky, the gallows or the Lethal Drip is that I just can't picture Jesus as an executioner, head on the switch, saying, "You gonna ride the lightnin' now, son!''
What's the use of having the gizmos to send murderers on to wherever it is they go if you're not going to use them. It's like keeping that "in the shell egg scrambler'' you bought after watching some late-night infomercial and not taking it out of the box. Use it or lose it, some people say.
I've always been ambivalent about the death penalty. It seems to me that there are some people who are so far beyond the pale that the possibility of rehabilitation is laughable. And redemption? Probably not going to happen, but that's not really my call, is it? Still, "Sic semper tyrannis'' and all that (Saddam Hussein, anyone?)
On the other hand, innocent people have been executed (Jesus, anyone?)
And 30 years in an 8x10 cell is no day at the beach and may be what has been called a "fate worse than death.''
But even as I get older, less patient and more conservative, the one thing that stops me from a full-throated endorsement of Old Sparky, the gallows or the Lethal Drip is that I just can't picture Jesus as an executioner, head on the switch, saying, "You gonna ride the lightnin' now, son!''
posted by Michael Riley at 10:11 AM
3 Comments:
I, for one, will be happy the day New Jersey abolishes the death penalty in law and not just in practice. Human life must be defended from conception through natural death.
...with some of the compassion focused on the part in between conception and "natural" death. Too many people in government forget about that middle part.
Hang 'em all...NJ needs to balance its budget...this is a good start at minimizing taxpayers' costs with all the nonsense appeals, housing, food, education, medical care (hey they do not even have a co-pay} paid for by you and me...we should hire those Iraqi noosemen..quick and simple..and boo-hoo if Saddam or any other criminal_is taunted or spit-on..respect? why? for what? Where was the respect when they raped smnall children or murdered your neighbor or relative?
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