The Death Penalty

We give more to someone who has committed a crime/done nothing to improve our country than we give to those who fight for our freedoms or through whatever hard times find themselves on the streets. As of January 2011 there were about 1,622,134 people in prison or jail in the US. This is about ½ of a percent and according to the NAACP as of October 30, 2009 the prison population cost about $68 billion a year. In 2011 I heard that the US is the only western nation to have the death penalty and that 64% of the population supports it while 29% does not (leaving 7% undecided). The US is trillions of dollars in debt and lawmakers are again bowing down to the few that believe the death penalty along with abortion is a violation of the 6^th commandment. We in conjunction with the Constitution should be looking at the death penalty from purely an economic standpoint as forgiveness for a criminal does not give you points with God. Forgiveness is for the survivors and families to move on with their lives; not for lesser sentencing of criminals.

Here’s a reminder to the religious people who want no death penalty and do not want to pay the increased taxes to house inmates for life. Deuteronomy 19 verses 12 and 13 say: Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with thee. I take this to mean that we should not pity the murder and put him/her to death. Deuteronomy 19 also talks about false witnesses. Verses 15 – 21 say: One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established. If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong. Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days. And the judges shall make diligent inquisition and behold if the witness be a false witness and hath testified falsely against his brother. Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother, so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.  And thine eye shall not pity, but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. I interpret this to mean that if you lie you shall be punished by having that which your lie was intended to take from the other person, taken from you. For example, you lie about an innocent person murdering another then your life shall be taken and a lie regarding you not owing someone money will mean they get your money or something of equivalent value.  

Per the Washington Times the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has been at it for 35 years and Diann Rust-Tierney, executive director of the coalition is “pleased to say that the end of our struggle is in sight” (Connecticut became the 17^th state to abolish the death penalty and others are looking to do the same). Since 1996 DNA results, if properly handled, pretty much assure an innocent person is not persecuted as in the olden days. Handling of DNA shouldn’t negate the validity of the science. The mishandling of evidence is wrong but we’re all human. Inappropriate mishandling if determined to be intentional should be treated as a crime. Cases where DNA is used to convict someone should result in quick justice; not wait 10 or 25 years as the victim’s family has a right to swift action and the convicted person’s state of mind should be consistent with the time the crime was committed. This coincides with Deuteronomy, Chapter 21, verses 22 – 23: And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death and he be to be put to death and thou hang him on a tree. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. We no longer hang people but we do have methods to get the same result – death.

The recent execution of Troy Davis, convicted of a 1989 cop killing, should not stop us from using the death penalty. The failure here is in the court room proceedings; not with the penalty assessed. In the 1991 trial there were 9 witnesses saying they saw Davis shoot or heard Davis confess to the shooting. Although there was no murder weapon, no DNA test and no conclusive physical evidence the original jury which included 7 black jurors convicted Davis (it seems there was no racial bias). From 1996 – 2006, 7 witnesses recanted their testimony but only 2 re-testified. In 2009 the Supreme Court asked for new evidence and the defense did not come up with anything that would reverse the conviction. Supporters of Davis say the system did not go after the truth when dealing with the appeals. Although I agree with them I believe the real problem is that the witnesses did not tell the truth in the original trial. Perhaps perjury laws should be strictly enforced as the bible states in order to assist in deterring false testimony.