My reasoning as to why the death penalty is wrong is simple. In the book of Genesis it shows how man and woman were created from the dust. First Man and then Woman from a rib of Man. God himself formed the bodies and breathed the breath of life into each body. Therefore since God created man and woman, only God himself should destroy what God has created. Furthermore Jesus commands us to love one another. He also commands us to love God with all our heart, and to love our neighbor as our self. Even Paul wrote that we should do good for our enemies, in doing so we will heap burning coals upon their head. For those of you who insist on believing the eye for the eye issue, I strongly suggest you read Matthew 5:20-5:26, also Matthew 5:38-5:48. If you truly follow the teachings of Jesus Christ you will see that He truly did not do away with the law, however He did fulfill it. The key to this is the fulfillment. God himself sent His only son to die for us for our salvation. He died for everyone, the Jew and the Gentile. The scriptures plainly say that no one is perfect, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the Lord. All of us deserve death! How can we kill one another in the name of justice? The sixth commandment plainly says, "Thou shalt not kill".

In my line of work as a machinist, I worked with a man at a previous place of employment who is for the death penalty. When I asked him one day what he would do if his son or daughter killed someone. He said these words, "If my son killed someone, I would kill him. I would save the state the effort." I find it hard to believe that any one in their right mind would kill their own child because they killed someone else. After all, that is their own flesh and blood. Parents tend to care for their children, over every thing else in this world. Furthermore, if the man referred to in this paragraph followed his words, would it not be right for his father to kill his son because his son killed his grandson. The cycle of violence never ends when you follow the eye for the eye. For each person that is killed whether it be murder or revenge of a murder, still another murder could occur, simply because the second party sought vengeance. This happens daily in our society. Just look around at what is going on today. Look at the gang problem. One gang does not like someone in another gang; therefore they kill that person. Out of revenge the second gang will strike back with another fatal blow. I am not saying that the Bible passage concerning "the eye for the eye" is wrong, only that the scriptures are being misinterpreted. Think about it logically. The deeper you go into the capital punishment issue the more you will find.

When a condemned person is executed, the executed prisoner's family also feels the same pain that is felt by a murder victim's family in the same way. I know this for a fact. I ask you this question. Do we love one another when we continue the killing process? The loss of the life is the same, whether it is in cold blood, or in repayment, whether out of vengeance or through Capital Punishment. One other thing that should be considered is this. Most men and women on death row have some sort of friend or penpal. When someone is executed by the State that friend or penpal is victimized by the act of execution. The pain that is felt is the same as if it was their own family member. People tend to bond to one another in all sort of relationships. Because of this bonding it is natural for pain to occur when their friend or loved one dies, either naturally or unnaturally. Just ask anyone who has been a penpal for someone on death row that was executed. They will tell you straight up that the death penalty is wrong.

Our Leaders use it to get votes. If you find yourself trapped in the system that we have, you will discover that the wheels of justice shows no mercy whatsoever. Innocence or guilt really doesn't matter at this point. Once you are marked by the system, your life is scarred forever. I caution you to beware of our leaders. They are just as human as we are. They are not perfect. No one is. Only the Lord is. Their main interest is to keep their position in our government. They will do anything and say anything to get the vote. The question is will they do what they promise. History clearly shows that many in government promise a lot, but deliver little.

I do believe in following the law of the land! I do believe in punishment for the criminal! I do believe we are accountable for our actions! The Bible teaches us to submit to the Law of the Land, and our Leaders. I submit to you that the legislators need to consider revising the laws concerning the death penalty. Polls clearly state that our society favors alternatives to Capital Punishment, alternatives such as life with out parole along with restitution. When the polls indicate things such as this, then the legislature should act upon this. The law is of the people, for the people, and by the people. Our constitution provides for this. I am not saying that you should not follow the law of the land. I am saying that the law of the land needs to be looked at closely. Our legislators meet on a regular basis and change laws when it becomes apparent that these changes are needed. I write this for the people to understand that I too say we must follow the laws and submit to higher authority. That is plainly taught in the word of God. However we can change these laws, if the people desire it.

I witnessed the execution of Karla Faye Tucker on February 3rd, 1998. I found that I did not receive closure, nor did the sun shine any brighter the next day. The streets that I live on did not appear to be any safer. All it did was to create more victims.

I do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent. It did not deter Karla Faye Tucker and Daniel Ryan Garret from bludgeoning two people to death with a pick ax. It did not deter the man who shot my father to death. It did not deter Anthony Gary Silvestri who stabbed to death a close friend of mine who was also a cracker jack reporter on January 22, 1998. That reporter's name was Kathryn Dettman who had interviewed myself just a few months before her death.

I do not believe it is punishment either. When you punish someone you simply try to make them understand that what they did was wrong, and to show them that this in not how we should live. Therefore since I believe that it is not a deterrent or punishment, it can only be one thing, "State Sanctioned Murder". My parents taught me that two wrongs don't make a right. In my opinion I look at the death penalty as "legal murder". If society as a whole wants to protect from the criminal element, life imprisonment must be brought back into our system. Studies and polls clearly state that jurors tend to use the death penalty simply because there is no such thing as life imprisonment without parole. The polls do indicate that if the juror had the option of life imprisonment without parole in the sentencing phase along with the death penalty that life imprisonment would be considered. This is an important issue and should be addressed through legislature.

Remember what Jesus Christ said to those who were going to stone to death a woman for adultery. Death by stoning, or in modern days time, the death penalty.  Jesus said "He that is without sin to cast the first stone". As the story goes the multitude left and the woman was not stoned to death. John 8:1-11

Reflect on the woman's crime and what Christ said and how He taught us to judge not, and to love one another, and to forgive one another. Even in the Lords Prayer it says that we will only be forgiven as we forgive those who trespass against us. Think about what he said when we go to those that are sick and in prison. He said " when you have done this for the least of them, you have done this to me". Christ died for all of our sins. Should we continue to drag his blood through the muck and mire of this unacceptable behavior pattern that has been taught to us over the years?

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