THE DEATH
PENALTY REVISITED
By Sr. Brenda
Walsh, Racine Dominican
The recent execution of Troy
Davis in the State of Georgia has stirred up a great deal of
controversy about the issue and offers us an urgent reminder to work
toward ending the death penalty as soon as possible. We need to
ensure that no innocent people are executed and to remove the death
penalty as an option. This will take a State by State effort and a
wide range of support. Every voice will count from the very old to
the very young. A good way to get involved is to check in with
MoveOn.org and
learn more about the issue. You can also sign an Amnesty
International pledge to fight the death penalty, at the MoveOn site.
The Catholic Church an other
denominations have called for a defense of all phases of human life.
In 1995, Pope John Paul 11 challenged his listeners to end state
sanctioned killing. He reminded people that violence does not bring
any solutions. It only begets more violence. Thirty four states now
have the death penalty. There are still wrongful executions and some
statistics reveal that they are more prevalent among people of color
and the very poor. This is an added injustice. Despite a global
outcry when more than a million people around the nation and globe
signed a petition not to proceed with the death of Troy Davis,
proceeded with the execution anyway. The groups of
people opposing the execution
included our Pope and former President Jimmy Carter and other
officials. The death penalty is more than a political issue. It is
definitely a moral issue. Why is it a moral issue? Life belongs only
to God. Life ethics must apply to all phases of human life. We are
not authorized to take the life of another, even the life of a
murderer.
I am always reminded of the
response of Bud Welch, whom I heard a few years ago. His only
daughter, Julie, graduated from Marquette University. She was
bright,
successful, and full of
compassion for people’s needs. She was about to announce her
engagement at the time, to her friend Eric. We know the rest of the
story. A bomb ripped through the Federal Building in Oklahoma City,
that killed many of the workers, including Julie. Her father, Bud
said there were no words to describe his grief and anger, when the
news of Julie’s death came. He then stopped and remembered what
Julie had said about the death penalty when she heard of an
execution in Texas. She commented that all the death penalty does is
to teach children in Texas more violence.
Bud decided to go to the home and
met the father of the murderer, Tim McVeigh. Some time before. He
said: “I don’t want Tim killed. I will do everything in my power to
prevent it.He has been speaking against the death penalty ever
since.
Pope Benedict XV1 calls on all
Catholics:
“Let us use this time to pray for those in prison,
especially those on death row.Let us ask God to make us instruments
of peace and healing. Pray for the victims of violence and their
families and work to root out the causes of violence that is so
pervasive in our society today.” We are all called to be instruments
of God’s peace. Today, let us respond to God’s call and strive to
break the cycle of violence. Let us work to create a society guided
by the mercy and compassion of our God.
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