By
Ryan Morden
January 17, 2008
All right, 2008 is still brand new and I’m proud to launch the first debate on capital punishment, a good ol’ fashion discussion on an ol’ fashion part of our justice system. Within the last month, two stories made national news and provided two more reasons why the death penalty should be abolished in Washington State.
To put it in words of John McCain-style “straight talk”: there is no humane way of putting a person to death.
Washington state employs two means of capital punishment: lethal injection and hanging — if the guilty party prefers it. Now the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments suggesting that lethal injection may cause excruciating pain to the recipient.
In some cases, it’s been known to take from 30 minutes to an hour for a criminal to die, causing the recipient to undergo intense suffering until his body finally gives up. The procedure calls for three drugs to be injected into the condemned: sodium thiopental, which knocks the person out; potassium chloride, which stops the heart; and pancuronium bromide, which causes muscle paralysis and suffocating from a collapsed diaphragm.
Can you imagine being conscious while your heart is stopping and you’re asphyxiating? Lethal injection might as well be called “concentrated chemical domestic warfare” without the “war” part.
If the evidence is true, it confirms that in our civilized state, there is no way to execute someone in a humane manner, and any application of the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment.
For some, the humanity aspect doesn’t matter. Regardless, capital punishment should still be abolished because of our tainted justice system. Our state has allowed someone to be convicted of 48 accounts of aggravated murder and still not be put to death — Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer.
Over Christmas break, two people shot a family of six to death in Carnation, a small town 30 miles east of Seattle. The murder was horrific, and people are calling for the death penalty. However, the message in our state is this: The more people you kill, the less likely you will be put to death thanks to the outcome of Ridgeway’s trial. Remember, 48 killed is fine — six murdered is not.
The only way to restore integrity to our state’s justice system is to abolish the death penalty, assuring fair and consistent justice is served.
Aside from the Ridgeway trial, the injustices of our system are only compounded by lack of confidence and certainty in a “guilty” verdict.
A class of journalism students at Northwestern University uncovered evidence that freed a man on death row. It wasn’t the police, the prosecutor, the defense or the justice system. It was journalism students.
Think about it.
Every single member of the College Republicans can agree that putting an innocent person to death is wrong. The Northwestern case is an example of how our justice system is not strong enough to even consider capital punishment.
What perplexes me most about the pro-death penalty constituency in our state is the fact that many are Christians and the death penalty conflicts with the Bible. There is no asterisk next to Hebrews 10:10, where it states, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.” For Christians, Jesus paid the ultimate price as a victim of capital punishment, namely, death, for everyone’s sins, not most. There is nothing interpretive in the “for all” portion of that verse.
Fox News’ Father Jonathan Morris — yes, Fox has a Catholic priest as a correspondent; try not to laugh — wrote an op-ed article on foxnews.com arguing that perhaps every human life has worth because it was created in the image of God, and putting a human to death would destroy something created in God’s likeness.
I’m afraid pro-capital punishment Christians are wrong on this policy and they should join students down in Olympia for the lobby day next month. Let the legislature know that our state’s justice system is too progressive to utilize capital punishment as a means for lopsided justice.
Death isn’t the greatest punishment our state can produce. The death penalty is a crutch. Without it, our justice system will produce fair and deserving punishments for heinous criminals.
[Reach columnist Ryan Morden at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]
27 Comments
#1 Dudley Sharp
on January 16, 2008 at 8:33 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
Mr. Morden could hardly have been more wrong, dishonest or ignorant on everything.
He writes: "The more people you kill, the less likely you will be put to death thanks to the outcome of Ridgeway’s trial. Remember, 48 killed is fine — six murdered is not."
Ridegway plea bargained based upon his revealing were some of the unfound bodies of his victims were. Without the death penalty,we likely never would have known were those vicitms were.
Few doubt that Ridegway deserved death.
#2 Dudley Sharp
on January 16, 2008 at 8:43 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
The biblical and theological support for the death penalty is pretty solid.
Please review:
(1)"The Death Penalty", Chapter XXVI, 187. The death penalty, from the book Iota Unum, by Romano Amerio,
Thoughtful deconstruction of current Roman Catholic teaching on capital punishment by a faithful Catholic Vatican insider.
in a blog (replace dot) domid.blogspot(DOT)com/2007/05/amerio-on-capital-punishment.html
titled "Amerio on capital punishment "Friday, May 25, 2007
(2) "Catholic and other Christian References: Support for the Death Penalty", at
homicidesurvivors(DOT)com/2006/10/12/catholic-and-other-christian-references-support-for-the-death-penalty.aspx
(3) "Capital Punishment: A Catholic Perspective" at
www(DOT)sspx.org/against_the_sound_bites/capital_punishment.htm
(4) "The Purpose of Punishment (in the Catholic tradition)", by R. Michael Dunningan, J.D., J.C.L., CHRISTIFIDELIS, Vol.21,No.4, sept 14, 2003
www(dot)st-joseph-foundation.org/newsletter/lead.php?document=2003/21-4
(5) "MOST CATHOLICS OPPOSE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?", KARL KEATING'S E-LETTER, Catholic Answers, March 2, 2004
www(dot)catholic.com/newsletters/kke_040302.asp
(6) "THOUGHTS ON THE BISHOPS' MEETING: NOWADAYS, VOTERS IGNORE BISHOPS" , KARL KEATING'S E-LETTER, Catholic Answers,, Nov. 22, 2005
www(dot)catholic.com/newsletters/kke_051122.asp
(7) "God’s Justice and Ours" by Antonin Scalia, First Things, 5/2002
www(dot)firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=2022
(8) "A Seamless Garment In a Sinful World" by John R. Connery, S. J., America, 7/14/84, p 5-8).
(9) "The Death Penalty", by Solange Strong Hertz at
ourworld(DOT)compuserve.com/HOMEPAGES/REMNANT/death2.htm
(10) "Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says", Dr. Lloyd R. Bailey, Abingdon Press, 1987. The definitive biblical review of the death penalty.
#3 Bill Hayes
on January 16, 2008 at 9:44 p.m.(Leesburg, FL | Unverified Name)
After reading the article I was about to reply then I discovered that Mr. Sharp already said it.
So all I will do is affirm his statements, especially in first paragraph.
It is wonderful to have an opinion, but an opinion should be based on facts.
If Ryan Morden turned this OpEd piece in to me in one of my classes he would get at best a "D".
#4 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:18 a.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
No Death Penalty = More Innocents Harmed
Dudley Sharp
Those who say the death penalty puts innocents at risk of execution forget to look at both sides of the equation.
What is the risk to innocents within a life sentence and absent the death penalty? The evidence is that innocents are more at risk without the death penalty.
Living murderers, in prison, after escape or after our failures to incarcerate them, are much more likely to harm and murder, again, than are executed murderers.
This is a truism.
No knowledgeable and honest party questions that the death penalty has the most extensive due process protections in US criminal law.
Therefore, actual innocents are more likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment and more likely to die in prison serving under that sentence, that it is that an actual innocent will be executed.
That is. logically, conclusive.
16 recent studies, inclusive of their defenses, find for death penalty deterrence.
Is this a surprise? No.
Life is preferred over death. Death is feared more than life.
Some believe that all studies with contrary findings negate those 16 studies. They don't. Studies which don't find for deterrence don't say no one is deterred, but that they couldn't measure those deterred.
What prospect of a negative outcome doesn't deter some? There isn't one . . . although committed anti death penalty folk may say the death penalty is the only one.
However, the premier anti death penalty scholar accepts it as a given that the death penalty is a deterrent, but does not believe it to be a greater deterrent than a life sentence. Yet, the evidence is compelling and un refuted that death is feared more than life - even in prison.
contd
#5 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:19 a.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
contd
Some death penalty opponents argue against death penalty deterrence, stating that it's a harsher penalty to be locked up without any possibility of getting out.
Reality paints a very different picture.
What percentage of capital murderers seek a plea bargain to a death sentence? Zero or close to it. They prefer long term imprisonment.
What percentage of convicted capital murderers argue for execution in the penalty phase of their capital trial? Zero or close to it. They prefer long term imprisonment.
What percentage of death row inmates waive their appeals and speed up the execution process? Nearly zero. They prefer long term imprisonment.
This is not, even remotely, in dispute.
Life is preferred over death. Death is feared more than life.
Furthermore, history tells us that "lifers" have many ways to get out: Pardon, commutation, escape, clerical error, change in the law, etc..
In choosing to end the death penalty, or in choosing not implement it, some have chosen to spare murderers at the cost of sacrificing more innocent lives.
--------
Furthermore, possibly we have sentenced 20-25 actually innocent people to death since 1973, or 0.3% of those so sentenced. Those have been released upon post conviction review. There is no proof of an innocent executed in the US, at least since 1900.
Of all the government programs in the world, that put innocents at risk, is there one with a safer record and with greater protections than the US death penalty?
Unlikely.
Dudley Sharp,
#6 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:59 a.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
Mr. Morden writes: "If the evidence (of pain within lethal injection) is true, it confirms that in our civilized state, there is no way to execute someone in a humane manner, and any application of the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment."
No, that is not what it means.
What it means is that in an extremely small number of cases, some of our worst murderers "may" have felt pain for a short period of time, prior to unconsciousness and death.
Read "Lethal Injection: Current Controversies Resolved"
Which is the first response to the essay at this link
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/stlo...
In additon, there is no factual support for your statement that "any application of the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment", as meant within the 8th Amendment.
The Founding Fathers put capital punishment in the Constitution. And, it is quite easy to get rid of the alleged problems with lethal injection or to introduce other methods of execution to carry out the jurors imposed sanction.
#7 Michael Blankenship
on January 17, 2008 at 5:22 a.m.(Nampa, ID | Unverified Name)
Most of the major religious denominations in the US have policy statements opposing capital punishment. The use of Judeo-Christian religion to oppose or support capital punishment is fraught with contradictions, many of which depend on Old Testament and New Testament interpretation, as well as Talmudic law.
As far as the research on general deterrence, research cited in other comments is seriously flawed. a group of economists project that executions prevent somewhere between 0 and 70+ homicides (sound valid to you?). The valid research suggests that the death penalty is no more or no less of an effective general deterrent than is life in prison.
We see that public support for capital punishment continues to decline. The extreme costs, the failure rate (death sentences imposed that are overturned), wrongful convictions, race, social class, poor legal representation and a host of other problems are causing people to change their position.
A majority of countries have abolished the death penalty or have a moratorium in place. It is time for the U.S. to follow this example and abolish this failed policy. Of all known executions that took place in 2006, 91% were carried out in six countries: China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan and the United States. New Jersey has set a shining example of gathering evidence and making responsible public policy.
Civilized nations do not execute their own citizens.
#8 Bryan
on January 17, 2008 at 7:23 a.m.(San Mateo, CA | Unverified Name)
I fail to see the cruel and unusual part about lethal injection. This whole arguement is based on the thought that suffocating while still being conscious would suck, but by the authors' own admission, the first injection knocks you out.
I'm confused... or perhaps my understanding of the term 'knocked out' is different from the authors', but wouldn't that mean the condemned is actually un-conscious?
Even if they weren't knocked out, I certainly don't lose any sleep over the possibility that a murderer might be uncomfortable on his way out the door. I figure it's a small karmic evening-out for all the pain they caused during their wasted life.
#9 Sally
on January 17, 2008 at 7:50 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Although I do not agree that the death penalty should be abolished (for much of the reasons above), I'm glad that this article was printed and hope that it will stimulate a debate here about our prison system.
Capital punishment represents a very small part of the justice system. I think larger issues are the overcrowding of prisons, racial disparity in incarceration, and the conditions of prison.
In this article lethal injection can potentially be torture if the executed in conscious during the process. But have you ever considered the life of a prisoner? Prison is wrought with violence, especially sexual violence. I think it's safe to safe that prison rape also constitutes torture, yet what is done to stop it?
Or a drug addict who is incarcerated. A herion addict is denied methadone. They are given a bucket to puke in and taken to the hospital only if they're in serious danger of dying. Never mind that incarcerating drug addicts is a huge waste of resources and space in prisons but denying medical treatment to someone who is dope sick is pretty cruel.
Also consider that only a third of the current prison population are violent offenders-- those convicted of rape, robbery or murder. The majority are in on drug or property offenses.
There's a lot to work out, but I think a big change we need to implement right away is to quit incarcerating drug users, dealers and suppliers. Drugs are not and should not be a justice system issue. They are a health issue. Decriminalization will also stem drug related violence.
#10 Lauren
on January 17, 2008 at 10:47 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
I can't for the life of me understand why so many Christians support the death penalty. Like Morden pointed out, Jesus already paid the price for all of us.
Do they think Jesus just didn't hang on the cross along enough? Why do people think we need to take HIS job into our hands?
Our focus should be on keeping violent people off the streets, and making sure criminals don't re-offend. It should NOT be our own twisted version of divine punishment. I, for one, trust God to take care of that. I don't ever want to have to stand in front of my Creator and say, "I supported killing in Your Name."
#11 Abbey Still
on January 17, 2008 at 1:15 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Ryan- You're certainly stirring up the masses with this little piece! I appreciate you bringing up the Gary Ridgeway story in this article, but I think most people still believe he deserves the death penalty. It's ridiculous that our tax dollars are being used so that a mass-murderer can sit safely behind bars, watching T.V. all day long and eating for free. A man who had no remorse for what he did does not deserve to live, he deserves to suffer in the same way the families of his victims suffer. Perhaps the answer isn't the death penalty-- but I don't think the answer is to keep him locked up and comfortable. Two wrongs don't make a right, but I know there has to be a middle ground here.
#12 K.
on January 17, 2008 at 2:26 p.m.(Leesburg, FL | Unverified Name)
If God had wanted to abolish the death penalty, God would have abolished it long ago.
Hundreds, if not thousands of years ago.
#13 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:36 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
Michael Blankenship writes:
"We see that public support for capital punishment continues to decline."
Actually, this past year, polls were up and death penalty support, both here and abroad, are much higher than many realize.
Death Penalty Polls - Support Remains Very High
Dudley Sharp
Death penalty support is much deeper and much wider than we are often led to believe, with significant percentages of those who say they, generally, oppose the death penalty, actually supporting it under specific circumstances.
General Support
76% of Americans find that we should impose the death penalty more or that we impose it about right - only 21% that it is imposed too often. (Gallup, May 2006 - 51% that we should impose it more, 25% that we impose it about right)
71% find capital punishment morally acceptable - that was the highest percentage answer for all questions (Gallup, April 2006, moral values poll). In May, 2007, the percentage dropped to 66%, still the highest percentage answer, with 27% opposed. (Gallup, 5/29/07)
When asked the general question "do you support capital punishment for murderers?" , 67% of Americans said yes, with 28% opposed (Gallup, 10/06).
Specific Case Support is much higher
81% of the American people supported the execution of Timothy McVeigh, with only 16% opposed. "(T)his view appears to be the consensus of all major groups in society, including men, women, whites, nonwhites, "liberals" and "conservatives." (Gallup 5/2/01).
85% of pf the primarily liberal Connecticut respondents voiced support for serial/rapist murderer Michael Ross' "voluntary" execution. (Quinnipiac University Poll, January 12, 2005).
79% support the death penalty for terrorists (Survey USA News Poll #12074, Sponsor: WABC-TV New York, 4/26/2007 New York State poll)
73% of Connecticut voters support the death penalty for the two parolees accused of the Cheshire (Ct) home invasion rape/murders of a mother and her two daughters. While 63% of Connecticut voters support the death penalty for murderers, in general, AT THE SAME TIME. ("Connecticut Voters Support Death Penalty 2-1", Quinnipiac University Poll, 11/7/07). NOTE: Support is more than 3 to 1. The poll showed 73% for execution, 23% opposed, for those parolees. It was 63-27% for the general question.
This, from the French daily Le Monde, December 2006 (1):
Percentage of respondents in favor of executing Saddam Hussein:
Great Britain: 69%
France: 58%
Germany: 53%
Spain: 51%
Italy: 46%
USA: 82%
We are led to believe there isn't death penalty support in England or Europe. European governments won't allow executions when their populations support it: they're anti democratic. (2)
contd
#14 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:38 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
contd
Why the large "error rate" between general and specific case support?
That very wide "error rates", between general support and specific case support, is likely due to the differences in (1) the widespread media coverage of anti death penalty claims, without the balance of contradicting those false claims, producing lower general support, (2) the absence of that influence when looking at individual cases when the public knows the crimes, the guilt of the murderer, and absent the anti death penalty bias factor, thus producing much higher specific case support and/or (3) reluctance of some respondents to voice stronger support for the death penalty, unless specific examples of murderers and their crimes are provided, as evidenced within (1) and (2).
Death Penalty Opposition? Look Again.
Significant percentages of those who say the oppose the death penalty do, in fact, support that sanction under specific circumstances. This provides firm evidence that death penalty support is much wider and deeper than expressed with the answer to the general death penalty polling questions.
57% of those who say they oppose the death penalty, generally, actually do support it for McVeigh's execution (81% supported the execution of McVeigh, 16% opposed (Gallup 5/02/01), while 65% offer general support for executions, with 28% opposed (Gallup, 6/10/01). The polls were conducted at nearly the same time.
40% who say they oppose the death penalty, generally, actually do support it for terrorists. (79% support and 18% oppose the death penalty for terrorists. 67% support and 29% oppose the death penalty for murder.) (SAME POLL - Survey USA News Poll #12074, Sponsor: WABC-TV New York, 4/26/2007 New York State poll)
84% of those who, generally, say they oppose the death penalty, actual did support it for Michael Ross. (SAME POLL - 85% say Connecticut serial rapist/murderer Michael Ross should be allowed to waive appeals and be executed. When asked whether they favor or oppose the death penalty, 59% favor - 31% oppose (Quinnipiac University Poll, January 12, 2005).
ERROR NOTE: The percentages will likely have a range of change, instead of a specific percentage, because there would be a transfer of points, not just from those opposing, under the general question, but from the undecided" or "did not answer" group, as well, into the supportive group for specific murders.
#15 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:51 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
I agree with Mr. Blackenship that "Most of the major religious denominations in the US have policy statements opposing capital punishment."
But he is in error when he says that "The use of Judeo-Christian religion to oppose or support capital punishment is fraught with contradictions,"
The Christian faith has had nearly 2000 years of unbroken, consistent theological support for the death penalty.
Many of the refernces I listed above, show that, in detail.
Have biblical and theological principles changed? Of course not, but what has occurred is a social movement against capital punishment.
A very few examples:
3) St. Augustine: "The same divine law which forbids the killing of a human being allows certain exceptions. Since the agent of authority is but a sword in the hand, and is not responsible for the killing, it is in no way contrary to the commandment "Thou shalt not kill", for the representative of the State's authority to put criminals to death, according to the Law or the rule of rational justice." The City of God, Book 1, Chapter 21
4) St. Thomas Aquinas finds all biblical interpretations against executions "frivolous", citing Exodus 22:18, "wrongdoers thou shalt not suffer to live". Unequivocally, he states," The civil rulers execute, justly and sinlessly, pestiferous men in order to protect the peace of the state." (Summa Contra Gentiles, III, 146
5) St. Thomas Aquinas: "The fact that the evil, as long as they live, can be corrected from their errors does not prohibit the fact that they may be justly executed, for the danger which threatens from their way of life is greater and more certain than the good which may be expected from their improvement. They also have at that critical point of death the opportunity to be converted to God through repentance. And if they are so stubborn that even at the point of death their heart does not draw back from evil, it is possible to make a highly probable judgement that they would never come away from evil to the right use of their powers." Summa Contra Gentiles, Book III, 146.
6) Saints Thomas Aquinas and Augustine. In addition to the required punishment for murder and the deterrence standards, both Saints find that executing murderers is also an act of charity and mercy. Saint Augustine confirms that " . . . inflicting capital punishment . . . protects those who are undergoing capital punishment from the harm they may suffer . . . through increased sinning which might continue if their life went on." (On the Lord's Sermon, 1.20.63-64.) Saint Thomas Aquinas finds that " . . . the death inflicted by the judge profits the sinner, if he be converted, unto the expiation of his crime; and, if he be not converted, it profits so as to put an end to the sin, because the sinner is thus deprived of the power to sin anymore." (Summa Theologica, II-II, 25, 6 ad 2.)
#16 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 2:57 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
Mr. Blankenship is in error, again. He states: "As far as the research on general deterrence, research cited in other comments is seriously flawed."
In fact, the research has been robustly defended from all attacks, so far.
The strength of the results is that all the studies, by different researchers, found for deterrence.
Those studies, plus virtually all of the very clear anecdotal evidence, shows that people prefer to live rather than die and that death is feared more than life.
Not really much of a surprise.
#17 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 3:08 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
Lauren writes: "I don't ever want to have to stand in front of my Creator and say, "I supported killing in Your Name."
It would appear He would fully understand.
Cardinal Avery Dulles,"At no point, however, does Jesus deny that the State has authority to exact capital punishment. In his debates with the Pharisees, Jesus cites with approval the apparently harsh commandment, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die (Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10, referring to Ex 21:17; cf. Lev 20:9). When Pilate calls attention to his authority to crucify him, Jesus points out that Pilate's power comes to him from above-that is to say, from God (Jn 19:1 l).Jesus commends the good thief on the cross next to him, who has admitted that he and his fellow thief are receiving the due reward of their deeds (Lk 23:41). "
"(Saint Paul) writes to the Romans with an apparent reference to the death penalty, that the magistrate who holds authority does not bear the sword in vain; for he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer (Rom 13:4). No passage in the New Testament disapproves of the death penalty."
"Turning to Christian tradition, we may note that the Fathers and Doctors of the Church are virtually unanimous in their support for capital punishment, even though some of them such as St. Ambrose exhort members of the clergy not to pronounce capital sentences or serve as executioners."
"The Roman Catechism, issued in 1566, three years after the end of the Council of Trent, taught that the power of life and death had been entrusted by God to civil authorities and that the use of this power, far from involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to the fifth commandment. "
"Summarizing the verdict of Scripture and tradition, we can glean some settled points of doctrine. It is agreed that crime deserves punishment in this life and not only in the next. In addition, it is agreed that the State has authority to administer appropriate punishment to those judged guilty of crimes and that this punishment may, in serious cases, include the sentence of death."
"Pope John Paul II spoke for the whole Catholic tradition when he proclaimed, in Evangelium Vitae, that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral (EV 57). But he wisely included in that statement the word innocent. He has never said that every criminal has a right to live nor has he denied that the State has the right in some cases to execute the guilty. "
("The Death Penalty: A Right to Life Issue?" at http://pewforum.org/deathpenalty/reso...
#18 John
on January 17, 2008 at 3:20 p.m.(Linden, NJ | Unverified Name)
Recently, Danny Rouse killed a young woman after being paroled after serving only 28 years for killing a boy. When caught he admitted killing 2 other women dacades before as a plea bargain to 'avoid' the death penalty.
How many other killers like Ted Bundy who wretchedly said that 'killing me is not going to bring the victims back' and that Tucker woman who tried desperately to convince the world that she 'found God' to 'avoid' lethal injection. Both were executed which was the punishment they most feared.
I remember after the OK City bombings President Clinton saying, 'if ever there was a reason for the death penaly, this is it'. Yep!
Why a person would be concerned with the 'pain' a child killer would undergo during execution makes me think that the person is most concerned with the word 'penalty' and probably has criminal tendencies himself.
#19 Dan
on January 17, 2008 at 3:25 p.m.(Location Unknown | Unverified Name)
You write like a third grader; use periods to end complete sentences; there are good arguments against capital punishment; none of them appear in this article; non-sequitors; argument against my own case; backwards ran sentences until reeled the mind; hello
#20 Dudley Sharp
on January 17, 2008 at 3:40 p.m.(Houston, TX | Unverified Name)
Mr. Bankenship writes: "New Jersey has set a shining example of gathering evidence and making responsible public policy."
A shining example of ignorance and/or deception.
Go to: "New Jersey Death Penalty Commison Made Significant Errors", July 5, 2007
http://www.hallnj.org/cm/listing.jsp?...
Summary
The New Jersey Death Penalty Commission made significant errors within their findings. The evidence, contrary to the Commissions findings, was so easy to obtain that it appears either willful ignorance or deception guided their report.
#21 Gndoofi
on January 22, 2008 at 10:29 a.m.(Dronfield, United Kingdom | Unverified Name)
I dont believe Gary Ridgeway should be put to death, in fact, I don't believe that capital punishment is a viable option. Period. i hear that in certain states in the US, it's possible to receive a gun as a gift when opening a bank account. This open acceptance for guns, fuelled with a hunger for violence (demonstrated by programs such as CSI) is to blame for most of the US' problems. Sadly, this way of life has crossed the water to the UK.
Instead of the death penalty, why not just study the individual over the course of their life inside, and finally begin to understand what drives these sickos. Stop guns, violence on TV and study those that have been less fortunate than ourselves.
#22 Sarah
on January 31, 2008 at 5:50 p.m.(Ferndale, WA | Unverified Name)
Dudley said,"Living murderers, in prison, after escape or after our failures to incarcerate them, are much more likely to harm and murder, again, than are executed murderers."
Well, um, doy. Flawed and unfair statistic since executed murderers ARE DEAD.
#23 Bill Hayes
on February 3, 2008 at 1:57 a.m.(Leesburg, FL | Unverified Name)
Sarah;
Another brilliant example of taking something out of context in order to make a stupid statement.
But just for an arguments sake, please show where the comment is incorrect.
#24 starfairy
on February 22, 2008 at 8:47 a.m.(Location Unknown | Unverified Name)
i totaly aggree with you. ammendment 8 states that there will be no cruel or unusual punishment. if you ask me, the death penalty is cruel and unusual. i will root for anyone set to abolish the death penalty.
#25 dia
on February 24, 2008 at 2:59 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
Perhaps you should join Fox News as a correspondent. The style of your article was right up their alley. I suppose I will address the fallacies in the order in which you committed them to paper. While you make several points that are really quite valid; namely the humanity of actually physically killing a person, and the tragedy of putting an innocent man to death, both quite philosophically admirable concerns, you do not even mention several important matters that come hand in hand with reality.
In many early cultures, 'lex talionis' was an important concept in their justice systems. As a basis for most modern eye-for-an-eye, tit-for-tat, and mirror punishment systems, retributive justice was doled out in exactly the measure given, or mercifully less in some systems. Perhaps several thousand years of perspective may ease your perplexity and confusion.
While your two main points make a strong, if old and cliche, argument against capital punishment, and even points I agree with, your article quickly devolves into meaningless trash in its second half. First, your quote from the Bible, which you somehow extrapolate the matter that because Jesus Christ died for one and all, all can do whatever they like without fear of mortal consequences. Even fundamentally this makes no sense. According to ANY reasonable belief Jesus Christ died to atone for the mortal sins of all souls that would otherwise prevent their ascension into Heaven. Nothing about this passage refers in any way to mortally absolving everyone of any mortal sin they may have, or will commit while they are still on the mortal plane (i.e. earth, or our definition of alive).
If you have any doubt, take a gander at Exodus 21:23–25 (net.bible.org) Which states "But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise"(netbible). A far better and much more contextual example would have been Mathew 5:38-39 which is Jesus teaching against the verse from Exodus. However, it doesn't seem like you actually care what others believe, just that they agree with you, so it's probably best not to try too hard to research your topic.
Your second journalistic travesty was your quotation of a Fox News correspondent (Christian or not) as counterpoint for conflicting beliefs of Christians of every denomination. First off, I can't believe you would ever quote anything from Fox News in a serious article. While I respect your conservative quotes, I don't agree with them, and neither do many others. If you don't agree with this statement, you can check out an older article. (slate.com), or alternately google any phrase containing the phrase 'fox news' with one or more of the words conservative, bias, lies. As much as we need a Right Wing, keep it out of the media. We certainly don't need such propaganda in the Daily.
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#26 dia
on February 24, 2008 at 2:59 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
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Third, telling people what to believe rather than convincing them is childish. You seem opinionated to all your proponents, and it makes you look like a fool to all that disagree.
Finally, the completely baseless assertions you use to conclude your article is laughable. In the town I grew up, public school taught the basic 5-W's and 1-H of proper journalism. While the rest of your article was at least coherent, you seem to have held your thoughts awkwardly when writing your conclusion. A casualty of your words seems to have been Mr. How, close friend of Prof. Why, who also seems to have been injured in your final onslaught of inanities.
Death isn't the greatest punishment our state can produce. The death penalty is a crutch. Without it, our justice system will produce fair and deserving punishments for heinous criminals.
What?
Death isn't the greatest punishment our state can produce.
Okay, I can go along with that, but it begs elaboration, and anyway, most of the greater punishments with funds available for them are likely to be considered medieval, and cruel and unusual as well.
The death penalty is a crutch.
Huh?
So without it.... we'd somehow have better means of punishment than have been civilly developed in the last few thousand years?
Without it, our justice system will produce fair and deserving punishments for heinous criminals
Here lies Mr. How, victim of casual journalist everywhere. Baseless assertions are silly. They serve no purpose, and anyone that takes a few moments to think about it should be able to see the fallacy of the statement. Now, I have no great faith in the perception of society in general, but if I were arguing the opposite:
With capital punishment, our justice system will produce fair and deserving punishments for heinous criminals.
Would you agree?
Of course not! Because you disagree with capital punishment!
At this point, I'm quite bewildered as to the objective of your article. It's on the opinion page, yes, and you seem to want to convince people of your view, which is perfectly fine, and necessary to a healthy society. However in the end, it appears you don't really care about what people believe, and just want to state your opinion?
Perhaps you could enlighten me, and all of the too-progressive 'pro-capital punishment Christian', or at least those of use with enough of a head on our shoulders to question such baseless assertions from those that calls on a conservative Catholic priest to tell us what to believe.
#27 Chase H.
on July 18, 2008 at 5:21 p.m.(Walla Walla, WA)
Gary Ridgway was sentenced to life without because they could only prosecute him for less the half of his murders, he made a plea bargain for life without as opposed to the death penalty. He gave them names and locations of the bodys, but he couldn't remember all of them, investigates are still working on getting enough evidence to convict him of another murder so that they can have a trail for the death penalty.
Lethal injection is an option for inmates in Washington state, and there have been people who say that it may be excruciating, but evan if it is, the only people on death row are people that have rape, tourterd and killed other people. There are two laws that seem to contradict each other, that of cruel and unusual punishment and the ethics law that punishment must fit the crime. In the bible it also says [Deuteronomy 19:17-21 "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."]
I guess my last question is do you really want people like Jonathan Lee Gentry, convicted on June 26, 1991 of fatally bludgeoning 12-year-old Cassie Holden, Cal Coburn Brown convicted on December 10, 1993 for the stabbing and strangulation death of Holly Washa, Clark Richard Elmore convicted on July 6, 1995 of one count of aggravated first degree murder and one count of Rape in the Second Degree for the rape and murder of the 14-year old daughter of his live-in girlfriend in Whatcom County, Dwayne A. Woods was convicted on June 20, 1997 of two counts of aggravated first degree murder for the murders of Telisha Shaver and Jade Moore, Cecill Emile Davis convicted of one count of aggravated first degree murder on February 6, 1998, for the suffocation/asphyxiation murder of 65-year-old Yoshiko Couch with a poisonous substance after burglarizing her home, robbing and then raping her, Dayva Michael Cross convicted June 22, 2001 in King County for the stabbing deaths of his wife Anouchka Baldwin (37) and stepdaughters Amanda Baldwin (15) and Salome Holle (18),Robert Lee Yates JR. convicted Sept. 19, 2002 in Pierce County of murdering 16 women, to be given the same sentence as sombody that struck out on the 3 strike law and has never been convicted of ending sombodys life. If the death penalty was enforced more and used as a deterant i dont think that we would see nearly as many murders as we do in Washington state.
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