by John Hatch

Created on: May 21, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2009

Matters of Life and Death are by their very nature, very personal choices. Just as our society seeks to strike a balance between personal freedom and state control, the issue of state mandated death penalty is one that can and should be of personal interest to all citizens.

Our culture is struggling with the themes of life and death every day. It is not uncommon to see images of death all around us. Not only in the news, but also on the street, in schools, and at the mall! Deaths heads and skulls and bones can be found on T-shirts and handbags, sneakers and jewelry. Look closely at the design on the tiny pink polka dots on a printed skirt, or on the much more obvious signs and stickers that decorate our cars and clothing. You may see tiny pink skulls on girl's handbags. Have we become a culture of Death?

We should not become blase or inured to these symbols and what they stand for; the end of a life. What makes us human is, in part, our consciousness of life and it's temporary quality.

The death penalty is final and permanent. There is no reprieve from this ultimate punishment. Humans are imperfect creatures, and therefore human justice is imperfect. As long as there is a possibility that a human being is wrongfully convicted, we cannot impose this permanent penalty. Likewise, Humans are capable of a quality far more perfect than we commonly take credit for: Mercy. Humans can grow and change throughout the course of a lifetime, and even the most stone cold killer, locked up behind bars, has the capacity to change. It is not always the case, but it is always possible. Society must always be able to exhibit the higher aspirations of the individual.

Finally, let me site an example from real life: I know a man whose mother was raped and murdered. The killer was caught, tried and convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. I asked this man whether or not he would rather see his mother's murderer put to death, and he said No. He told me that he slept better at night, knowing that the man who took his mother's life was locked away for good in the state penitentiary, that he would be paying his debt to society for the remainder of his own natural life, and that his punishment could not be abbreviated.

Murder is a crime. A society that permits the death penalty condones state murder, and does not measure up to the standards of civilization that the rest of the western world seeks to achieve.

Learn more about this author, John Hatch.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.