The death penalty offers the tragic illusion that we can defend life by taking another life. The practice of capital punishment is a barbaric act. It is a scheduled killing of a person, albeit a person convicted of a horrible crime, nonetheless, the guilty person is still a human being. The execution of a criminal is a violent act, namely, the killing of that person. Violence upon violence does not promote the welfare of society.
Violence demeans the one who performs or cooperates with such actions.
The dignity of the human person must always be respected, even in the case of someone who has committed a grave evil act. The responsibility of the state is to protect its people. Modern society has the means of protecting itself from those who have committed evil acts without denying criminals the chance to repent and reform. Therefore I recommit myself to work diligently for a moratorium on the death penalty. All rights reserved.