H4PJ Blog

Ever wonder just why Texas executes more people each year than most countries?
This PBS article is informative and depressing. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/execution/readings/texas.html

Lynn Walters: H4PJ Board Member

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution of Troy Davis, granting his attorneys 15 days to file briefs on whether he can meet “stringent requirements” for the next round of appeals. (www.newsday.com).

I’m glad that Davis’ life may be spared, especially as it is likely he did not commit the crime for which he was convicted. His story is the sad story of so many young men, especially young men of color who are in the wrong place at the wrong time and overzealous police and prosecutors, incompetent defense counsel among other things.

His case has attracted attention from the Pope, Jimmy Carter, Amnesty International and other high profile human rights activists and organizations.

Isn’t any execution a violation of human rights? Why aren’t we asked to write letters and protest on behalf of ALL inmates on death row? I understand that not everyone has as compelling a story and many on death row are guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted and deserve to be in prison for life.

In our opposition to the death penalty, can we truly pick and choose which inmates we will support or are we admitting that perhaps we think some of them do deserve to die? I sometimes do when I read about the crimes. What I try to remember is that no matter what they did, executing them will not bring back the victims and won’t help their families to miss them less. And, life in prison (or death in prison as some call it), is an effective way to keep such violent offenders from repeating their crime(s).

I won’t say it’s easy, but as Sr. Helen Prejean says, it is an on-going journey.

Lynn Walters: H4PJ Director of Programming

There was yet another senseless, violent murder in Dallas last week. Two young men who ran a Christian music recording studio were killed and robbed as they left the studio after a late night of work.

The young men who were later arrested for their murders had other outstanding warrants. This week, they gave interviews to the media about the murders. Both were upset they only got $2 in the robbery, they blamed the victims for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the one who admitted to killing them, when asked whether he was sorry, responded: “Do it look like I got remorse?” he said.

I admit that my first thought was that he deserves the death penalty. I could find so many ways to justify it: they had outstanding warrants, killed two people who likely would have given them any cash they had and probably the car too, and who demonstrated no remorse for taking two lives.

But in the last few years I’ve come to oppose the death penalty, those things are common to most capital crimes. Killing two more young men is not going to resolve the problems that lead to these senseless murders, it will not stop future murders, nor will it bring back the two who were killed.

However, life in prison seems an appropriate minimum punishment. It is also one which allows for the possibility of repentance and redemption, though that seems a very far off possibility right now.

I admit this isn’t easy. There is a part of me that thinks we should wash our hands of these two criminals…but the part of me who is open to the teachings of Jesus believes in miraculous possibilities and is humble enough to know that I am not the final arbiter of justice or life.

Peace,
Lynn