Today's letters to the editor Click here to read today's Letters to the editor. The Herald-Leader welcomes letters on topics of public interest. Any exceptions will be made at the discretion of the editors. We reserve the right to edit all letters submitted for brevity, content and clarity. Original, not copies or form letters.
Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board.
This special weekly section includes the paper's Books Page. Death penalty duty Governor can't pass on deciding who dies, and how Gov. Paul Patton acted within his authority when he decreed that Harold McQueen will die in the electric chair July 1. The governor has an obligation to examine the circumstances of each death sentence that reaches his desk. Like it or not, he is the state's conscience in an action that can't be undone. Patton also should explain why McQueen's execution cannot wait until the legislature has a chance to enact lethal injection as an alternative to electrocution.