Capital punishment (was Book offer)

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NANCY
As usual, Junior sent his post to me personally. As usual, I am replying via
the list.


WALT JR

>Nancy,

>

>Would you say that you disagree with life terms in maximum security prisons

too then since certainly many innocent people have been sent there too?
Just curious.

>

>Walt Jr.


NANCY
Well, gee, Walt, let's look at it rationally. 

A person (most likely a black male) is convicted of murder and sentenced to
death. After a few years of appeals, the sentence is finally carried out.
The man is killed humanely (lethal injection) or barbarically (electric
chair) depending on the state. Either way, justice has been served. And eye
for an eye and all that. A year after the execution, behold, new evidence
comes to light. It turns out that the executed man didn't commit the crime
after all. What do we do? Apologize to his family? "Hey, mistakes happen and
we're only human. We're sorry we killed your son."

Here's another scenario. A person is convicted of murder and sentenced to
life in prison without parole. Justice has been served. After this person
has served two, or five, or ten, or twenty years for this crime, new
evidence shows that he was wrongly convicted. What do we do? We set him
free, perhaps compensate him monetarily for the years he was wrongly
confined, and rejoice that we live in a society that recognizes the folly of
capital punishment.

Do you see the difference, Junior? We can return to a person his or her
freedom, but we cannot return his or her life.

Nancy Todd
todds@pa.net 



>

>----------

>From: 	Greg, Nancy, and James Todd[SMTP:todds@pa.net]

>Sent: 	28 February 1998 14:30

>To: 	errancy@infidels.org

>Subject: 	Re: Capital punishment (was Book offer)

>

>NANCY

>This thread is somewhat off-topic, but that won't stop me from adding my

>$0.02-worth. Until there can be a guarantee that no innocent person will be

>put to death, I cannot support capital punishment. To make the thread a

>little more on-topic, I find it rather ironic that some xtian groups, most

>notably the RCC, are adamantly opposed to capital punishment when it is

>prescribed by the god they worship. 

>

>Nancy Todd

>todds@pa.net

>

>

>

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