Ask Al Gore. Ask George W. Bush. The death penalty issue just won't die and there are many good reasons for that, according to Cardinal Roger Mahony. It's reflected in our movies and music, our television and video games, in our homes, schools and on our streets. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are suggested as a remedy for the burdens of age and illness.
Capital punishment is marketed as the answer to deal with violent crime.
A nation that destroys its young, abandons its elderly and relies on vengeance is in serious moral trouble. Mahony admitted, in a National Press Club address, that support for the death penalty unites legions of politicians who rarely agree on anything else. In Catholic circles, some insist that abortion and the death penalty are unique and totally separate issues. Others admit they are different, but insist that they share common roots. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.