Death Row Blog
I recently read an article in the Toronto Star care of Reuters about a Death Row inmate who has been blogging about being on Death Row leading up to his imminent execution most likely for this coming Wednesday. He is convicted of killing 3 people. Two when he was 19 and one in his prison cell, in self-defense he says. That is not an easy thing to defend.
I have long been against the Death Penalty as I do not see how people on the side of the law are any better than the perpetrators they execute by doing the same thing and premeditative at that. I think it is a barbaric practice among sane people and it does nothing but harvest a blood lust in the victim's families.
It is a tough argument to sell, I admit, especially not ever having lost a loved one to violent crime. I imagine I would want the perpetrator dead-- but probably by my own hands in a state of tremendous grief. There is something unsettling about the sterile, administrative process of executing someone long after the crime has been committed.
I had this conversation with Jason recently because I was actually moved by a lot of what I read in this man's blog. Maybe it is an attempt to manipulate enough people to write in and stop the execution; that could easily be the purpose. Jason couldn't get around the 3 killings and I have to admit I have a problem arguing against that too, but it still will not change my feelings toward capital punishment.
I would be interested to see how other people respond after reading this man's blog. We are removed from the violence of his crimes and perhaps find it easier to forgive a man who speaks eloquently in his final days but do you think there is room for forgiveness, even if it means he spends the rest of his life in prison?
I have long been against the Death Penalty as I do not see how people on the side of the law are any better than the perpetrators they execute by doing the same thing and premeditative at that. I think it is a barbaric practice among sane people and it does nothing but harvest a blood lust in the victim's families.
It is a tough argument to sell, I admit, especially not ever having lost a loved one to violent crime. I imagine I would want the perpetrator dead-- but probably by my own hands in a state of tremendous grief. There is something unsettling about the sterile, administrative process of executing someone long after the crime has been committed.
I had this conversation with Jason recently because I was actually moved by a lot of what I read in this man's blog. Maybe it is an attempt to manipulate enough people to write in and stop the execution; that could easily be the purpose. Jason couldn't get around the 3 killings and I have to admit I have a problem arguing against that too, but it still will not change my feelings toward capital punishment.
I would be interested to see how other people respond after reading this man's blog. We are removed from the violence of his crimes and perhaps find it easier to forgive a man who speaks eloquently in his final days but do you think there is room for forgiveness, even if it means he spends the rest of his life in prison?