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Hanging for Justice

the government takes away our rights

there was a massive backlash
to Mike Farrell’s commentary
about why Timothy McVeigh
should not receive the death penalty

Mike Farrell wrote in USA Today
the reasons why the death penalty
does not work
not why he should be spared
no matter how heinous the crime
we should not stoop to the level of the criminal
by killing him

two others wrote responses in USA Today
for the death penalty

Scot Ebisch of New Jersey says that the Bible says
“Live by the sword, die by the sword”
yes, Jesus said “Those who live by the sword
will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52)
Scott also defended the death penalty by quoting the bible again:
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
Exodus and Judaism are valid arguments
but Christianity (America’s laws more closely reflect )
say “Turn the other cheek”

Glen Jones of Delaware quoted the bible too:
“Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you”
Luke 6:31 actually says:
“Do unto others as you would have them do to you”
(sorry, I needed to correct his BibleSpeak)
which actually means we’re supposed to be NICE to others
not evil

America’s laws are designed to protect individual rights
we let the government to kill someone for killing people
what’s to stop the government from killing people because
they are drug dealers?
or committed robbery?
or voiced the wrong opinions in public?

I could point out
that with our current appeals process
it costs six times as much money
to kill a prisoner than to keep him in prison for life,
even if they are never rehabilitated
so why are people so determined
to kill the killers?
if Timothy McVeigh had no right to choose
who should live and who should die,
why do we have the right to take his?


Copyright Janet Kuypers.
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