Saturday, April 24, 2010
Death By Firing Squad
I'm going to share my view on two 'hot button' issues here. I'd share then if the two or so people who read this blog were the only ones who saw them or the entire world was reading because I believe with all my heart that my views are the most rational, common sense views one can have on both of them.
Tonight, it's capital punishment. I just read an article on msnbc.com where a man will be executed in Utah by firing squad. I had no idea that was even a choice in 2010 in the United States. Apparently in Utah you can choose lethal injection or firing squad. This is the third man to choose firing squad since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.
My question is why is this somehow more 'inhumane' than lethal injection? You are murdering another human being. Is there a 'humane' way to do that? That seems to be the controversy here. I certainly do think murderers need to be punished. There is no defense to killing someone else in cold blood. It's reprehensible. But I think life in prison with no chance of parole is more than adequate. I've read somewhere that keeping prisoners in prison for life is cheaper than the use of capital punishment when you factor in the endless appeals most prisoners go through and the drugs used to kill them. So if price is a consideration, no win there.
I just find it odd that so many conservative Christians are vehemently opposed to abortion but for capital punishment. Isn't all life supposed to be precious in the eyes of God? Just as all sins are equal in the eyes of the Lord? I don't understand, even though these people have committed heinous acts, why this gives us the right to take their lives in response. Isn't that supposed to be God's will? And just so you wonder if I am for abortion I am not. As an aside, I can understand abortion in extreme cases (rape, incest, life of the mother in danger, baby severely damaged in some way), but ultimately it's also not my choice to tell a woman she can't have one. I think all life IS precious and I also believe that it's not my place to decide when another person's life should end. The two are the same thing.
I don't quite know how the people used in the firing squad of this man in June will not be considered murderers themselves. It's not self-defense. The man will be unarmed. He did nothing to provoke these men to kill him. I believe the people applying the lethal injection are murderers too for the same reason. It's the very last job in the world I would ever want.
You may ask, well, if someone murdered your dad or sister wouldn't you want them to be put to death? My answer is no. And I would get no pleasure in watching that person be put to death either. It wouldn't bring my loved one back. I would want that person locked up for the rest of their lives with no chance of ever getting out. I think that is a harsher punishment; to waste away in prison 'til old age and then to die alone.
I simply don't agree with capital punishment no matter how horrible the crime. No one person should get to decide when someone else should die. Murder is the killing of another person. And deciding when and how a murderer dies isn't somehow more noble a way of killing someone. It's murder, plain and simple. Now isn't that common sense? Yes!
