During the course of my thirty-five years since ordination I have consoled and prayed with victims of crime and their families. Theirs is a pain that is uniquely deep and devastating. The life of their loved one must be addressed, and our society must be made safe from the criminal who was responsible for the death of another. I ask you, Governor Keating and the people of Oklahoma, to ponder these questions. The Death Penalty is an extreme solution which mimics the very act of the criminal.
Capital punishment places the whole society in the position of life-taker.
It makes all of us responsible for the death of another. It leaves no room for hope, healing or reconciliation. It is, at best, a desperate human solution which cries out for reform. As we ponder this powerful reality in our midst and search for a more advanced solution, I ask you to consider seriously a moratorium on the death penalty in our beloved home State for a period of five years. During this time, let us consider whether this lethal act of the State is wise.