Capital Punishment

My latest paper for English Comp. What do you guys think about this issue? Do you think there is a time for it? Is it biblical? Should we or should we not have the death penalty? Why?

The Capital Punishment Debate

  

    In 1971, Judy Buenoano known as  the “Black Widow” murdered her husband with arsenic and got away with it. Over the next years she commenced to murder a boyfriend, her 19 yr-old partially paralyzed son and attempted the murder of her second husband.  She never admitted that she had committed any of these murders nor was she in the least remorseful for the crimes.  She was put to death by electric chair on March 30, 1998 at the age of 54.

    The debate of capital punishment is a complicated one.  There’s the moral issue, do we have the right to take a life even if they have done so, is it our place to decide when their life is over? And what if an innocent person is put on death row, according to Amnesty International, since 1973, more than 130 people have been exonerated from death rows because of evidence that they were convicted wrongly. Another issue is the issue of expense; it is far more expensive to carry through with the death penalty than to sentence a criminal for life. Are we wasting money on capital punishment? People say that capital punishment ensures closure for families of victims but can revenge bring closure? Often people are angry and want that revenge on the person that hurt them or their loved ones so much, but in the end does revenge heal their aching hearts?

One last point of capital punishment is that it prevents crimes by holding such a severe punishment as a consequence.  Research shows that the states without the death penalty have lower crime rates so how well does it really work?.

    Is there really a good answer to the question:  is it right or wrong? When people commit such heinous crimes, like that of Judy Buenoano, do they deserve to be killed, or should we lock them up until their death? Ezekiel 33:11 says “...I [God] have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live…” (English Standard Version) Another verse on this topic is “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye or an eye and a tooth or a tooth.’ but I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:38-39 ESV) Jesus’ teachings were to return good for evil.  Christina Clark writes in her article The Current: Death penalty continues to raise controversy, in the March 2013 issue of The Southend Weekly,  “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind…” (TSE 2013)  Clark then proceeds to summarize the trial of 17 year old TJ Lane who killed two students in a school shooting in 2012 at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio. Lane showed no remorse for the murder of his fellow students. Clark raises the question that in cases like this, when the crime committed is terrible enough and there is no visible chance to rehabilitate the offender, is the death penalty a good option? Clark leaves you with the question,   “In some cases is an eye for an eye what the world needs?” (TSE 2013)

    “...I am an innocent man-convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do…” were the dying words of an innocent man. Cameron Todd Willingham, convicted of setting fire to his home and murdering his three young daughters while their mother was gone.  He was put to death by lethal injection on February 17, 2004 in Texas. Years later he was found to be innocent. There are more cases like this. It is nearly impossible to avoid making these mistakes with capital punishment, when evidence is held back or witnesses are not accurate or honest. With over 1200 people on death row being put to death since 1976, how many of them were innocent?

    If we do not use the death penalty and instead lock these criminals up for life without parole, taxpayers are paying their hard earned money to feed, clothe and shelter maybe the very person that took the life of a loved one. Are we wasting money by giving these people life in jail? “According to a July 2012 analysis conducted by the Legislative Analysist Office, California taxpayers will save $130 million each year by replacing the death penalty with life in prison without possibility of parole.” (SAFE California) The amount spent on each of the 13 California executions since 1978 averages out to about $300 million, totaling in about 4 billion dollars in California alone, where cost to convict an individual for life without parole is between 200,000 and 300,000 dollars. (California Innocence Project) The total cost of the death penalty annually is roughly estimated to cost 232.7 million dollars whereas lifetime incarceration costs roughly $11.5 million. (Amnesty International) So taxpayers complaining about their taxes going to give murderers and rapists three hot meals a day, a warm place to sleep and free cable TV need to know that  it’s taking a lot less of their money to keep these criminals  locked up than to end their lives.

    When a mother loses her child to death at the hands of some mentally deranged person, can executing her child’s murderer really bring her closure and healing? Or a daughter brutally raped and killed, will that person’s death give her back her daughter? The point of punishment is to teach a lesson, what lesson is being learned by a person once dead?

    On November 1, 1987, Dawn Garvin was brutally murdered in her apartment. Steven Howard Oken, Garvin’s killer, had killed two other young women before Dawn. Her brother. Frank Romano’s words on the execution of Oken were these, “It won’t bring closure, Dawn will never be back. I’m not looking for closure. That’s a bad misconception on the part of some people. I want Oken to die for the murder of Dawn, Patricia Hurt and Lori Ward. It’s justice, it’s not revenge.” and his wife, Vicki Romano added, “Revenge would be going out and killing one of [the murderer’s] family members, the death penalty isn’t revenge. It’s the law.” (The Baltimore Sun) So maybe for the victim’s family it’s really not about revenge, or closure, as Frank and Vicki Romano said, it’s justice. Because killing the person who took away their loved one won’t right the wrong, it won’t give them back what they lost or give them closure, but it is justice. I can understand this but it seems that a life time in jail, dealing daily with the guilt and confinement would seem more just than their misery being ended.

    Why do some states still use capital punishment? One of the reasons used is that it prevents murder and other terrible crimes, but according to FBI data from 2008, states without the death penalty had at or below that of the national homicide rate. (Amnesty International) So the death penalty does not even lessen crime rates. If a person is going to commit a crime, if they hate someone, want money badly enough or are psychotic enough just to kill for the kicks, are they really going to think about the consequences if they do get caught? It’s very unlikely that they will.

    In the end, capital punishment may accomplish justice in most cases, but when it comes to cost effectiveness, preventing crime, and the innocence factor, capital punishment does not seem to be the best answer to the problem. Preventing crime starts with teaching morals; discipline and self control to our children. If we started doing this, maybe the need for jails and capital punishment would be less. I believe there are cases in which the death penalty should be used, as in a case like Judy Buenona’s or TJ Lane’s. In cases like these where there is no sign of repentance and no chance of rehabilitation for the criminal the death penalty may be appropriate. It’s easy to say, “Yes, kill them, they raped or murdered an innocent person”, but before we are so quick to judge, do we know the facts? Is capital punishment really the best and most effective way to control crime or is there perhaps a better way?

Works Cited

"The Death Penalty in the United States." The Death Penalty in the United States. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

"What's New." Death Penalty Information Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

Kane, Gregory. "To Murder Victims' Families, Executing Killers Is Justice." Baltimoresun.com. N.p., 05 Feb. 2003. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

"Death Penalty Issues." California Innocence Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Judias V. Buenoano #450." Judias V. Buenoano #450. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

"No Credible Evidence on Whether Death Penalty Deters, Experts Say." - The Denver Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Cameron Todd Willingham – Innocent and Executed." Cameron Todd Willingham Innocent and Executed RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

Clark, Christina. "The Current: Death Penalty Continues to Raise Controversy." The South End. N.p., 05 Apr. 13. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

"Costs & Savings." SAFE California. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"5 Arguments For And Against The Death Penalty." Listverse. N.p., 01 June 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

"Know the Facts About Capital Punishment." Amnesty International. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas." The Innocence Project - Cameron Todd Willingham: Wrongfully Convicted and Executed in Texas. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

The Miracle of Forgiveness

I don't know if I ever posted my original copy of this, 'The Choice'. I wrote The Choice probably 2010 and just pulled this out and rewrote it today. I feel like it still needs work but the next version may have to wait another three years. :) 

The Miracle of Forgiveness

Anna Lofgren
    “I hate him!” she sobbed. “He’s ruined my life and I can never forgive him!” the slight figure in front of the tiny, grimy, trailer house window looked haggard and old for her years. She stared aimlessly as dusk slowly enveloped the surrounding trailers. A dark figure was moving up the road towards her. For a moment she didn’t recognize him. She brushed a dark curl from her eyes and leaned closer, straining to recognize the features. It was him! It was Robin. She hadn’t been expecting him until dawn at least, as it was a Friday night and his usual habit was to stay out late with friends, drinking away the small paycheck he had earned during the week.

    She shivered and pulling the sleeves of her worn sweater over her hands she hugged herself against the cold. It was November and since they didn’t have the money to pay the bills the last few months their heat had been turned off. Her mind wandered back to that day, she had managed to convince Robin to give her a few dollars of his paycheck for groceries when he had stopped by after work to eat before meeting up with his drinking buddies for the weekend. As their town was a small one, everyone knew them and everyone looked down on her. When she had gone to the store, the clerk had hurried to ring up her items, speaking to her once to give Mercy her total and even then with averted eyes. People were ashamed to associate with them. Robin’s reputation affected hers, she had no social life and had never been so lonely as in the last year and a half of her marriage to her alcoholic and abusive husband. She longed for the months following their wedding back, those days when he’d loved and cherished her, provided for her and they had been happy.

    A hand on her shoulder jerked her back to the present. She turned and seeing her husband’s 6 ft standing over her, shrunk back. It was half way relieving to see him in so early, at least she wouldn’t have to go out and bring him home like she did many nights lately. But something was different tonight. He did not reek of alcohol tonight, something didn’t feel right.

    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He stepped back awkwardly. “It’s just, well, there’s something I need to say to you.” she watched him warily, not answering him, not moving.     

    “Earlier, after I’d left you for the night, I stopped at those revival meetings in town with a guy from work. He’s been bugging me all week about going with him and I finally consented to get him off my back. Figured it’d be at least entertainment. But what I came away with wasn’t something to joke about. I came away a changed man. On the way home I passed the bar and the temptation for just one drink swept over me. I almost gave in but I remembered what the speaker had said about resisting temptation and I prayed. You know? God gave me the strength to continue on without stopping. He paused, “Mercy, I know that I’ve hurt you and I don’t know that it will ever be able to be fixed, but I’m so sorry and I’m begging for you to forgive me!” a tear slipped down Mercy’s cheek and Robin reached to wipe it away but she turned and retreated to her room, locking the door behind her. She sat down on their tiny bed and sobbed.

    As the weeks went by, Mercy grew more and more bitter. Now that Robin was determined to change, and had somehow got this whole ‘God thing’ going for himself, he had been working to gain back her respect and trust. This week he had come home straight from work every night. Friday he brought her roses then had prepared dinner with candles. She refused to accept the things that he did. She was sure he’d return to the same man he’d turned into before and she was frustrated that he’d even try to make it up to her, as if anything could undo the months of abuse and her tainted reputation. But something really was changed about him, she couldn’t deny that.

    She was miserable. Half of her longed for the peace and forgiveness her husband had found but the other half struggled against it. The grudge she clung to so desperately tortured her. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t stand the presence of Robin and finally she decided to file for a divorce. With this settled in her mind, it somehow gave her the strength to force herself to sleep, with the hope dawning in her mind that tomorrow she would leave him and with him, her problems and their terrible past.  

    She drifted in and out of a restless sleep for the first half of the night. At some point towards dawn she thought she awoke to a tall dark figure standing in the open doorway of her bedroom. He was beckoning to her and something compelled her to follow him. He led her outside of town. Next thing she knew she was being led into a large room and up to a desk. Behind it sat two men, one wore white and had a radiant face, wearing a gentle expression. The other wore black. His face was ugly, scarred and hateful.

    “Mercy Roscoe, Sir.” said the man that had brought her in, addressing the man in white. The man robed in white ran a finger down a page on the desk in front of Him, and so did the man in black as he smiled wickedly.

    “Bitterness!” the man in white murmured sadly and Mercy thought she saw tears in his eyes.    

    “He has changed, and though he has hurt you in the past, don’t you think it would be better to forgive than clinging to your anger? Bitterness will kill you slowly. I can’t take your scars away, but I can make something far more beautiful from them!” He turned tender eyes on her and the beseeching look in his eyes almost made her choose forgiveness, but the man in black seeing he was about to lose her spoke, his voice seemed to rip through her soul and tear it to shreds,

    “Bitterness is easier than forgiving.” he stated convincingly. Mercy nodded, turning angrily on the man in white,

    “How do you expect me to forgive him? Look what he has done to my life!” Mercy cried bitterly. The man in black nodded approvingly.
    “You can’t forgive him, you shouldn’t! He agreed gesturing to a man standing behind him, also dressed in black, a long hooded cloak.

    “No!” The man in white cried out, a look of agony crossing his face, “Look, I forgave you your sins, can’t you forgive Robin?” he begged. But Mercy ignored him and took the hand that the hooded man was extending to her. His hand was icy and it was as if her hand was stuck in his even though he hardly gripped it.

    They exited the room and headed down a foreboding, woods lined path. The further they went, the darker it became and before long Mercy felt completely lost. Finally they arrived at a large stone building, a thick barrier, also made of stone surrounded it. The man leading her unchained the gate letting them in and re-chained it behind them. He led her to the door and pulled on it. It swung open on creaking rusty hinges. Inside it was completely dark, no windows, just cold stone walls and arches leading to more dark, stone-walled rooms.

    The man led her through the first arch and the sight that met her eyes shocked her. She gasped. Men, women, even teenagers and children were sprawled on the hard floor, covered in waste. Some slept, some sat or lay and stared blankly, all of them were fettered with sturdy chains. Mercy turned to her guide with a horrified questioning look.

    “Bitterness.” He spoke for the first time, his voice icy like his hand. Before she knew it she was sitting on the cold, dirty floor, also wearing chains and the man was gone.

    Days passed and she slept, when she wasn’t asleep she thought about Robin, blaming him for her misfortune. Day and night was the same for her. Often, man came either bringing another person or taking one through the arch into the darkness beyond the room she was in, sometimes both.

    Then one day it was her turn and the man led her into the next room. More chains were put on her, heavier, stronger chains. This room was even darker and colder. Echoing with the sobs and moans of others sharing her miserable fate. It seemed like an eternity before the man came for her again. Each archway led to a darker and more miserable prison. She had no idea how much time had passed but she had been moved several times, and the last archway she could see led to an eternal burning pit. She had seen many people be led away and then brought back only to be pushed, screaming, over the edge into the hungry flames never to return. The weight of the chains surpassed her strength, she felt weak and defeated. Finally the tall hooded man came back for her. She was brought again into the room where the two men sat at the desk.

    “Mercy Roscoe.” The man announced, retreating to his station behind the man in black.

    “Yes, I know her.” The man in white said sadly. Before he could say anymore, Mercy fell to her knees, tears streaming down her pale and sunken cheeks.

    “Forgive me!” She pleaded. The man in white looked so deeply into her haunted eyes, she felt them burning through her soul.

    “You are ready to forgive Robin?” His voice was hopeful.

    “I forgive him!” Mercy sobbed, her face hidden in her hands. The man in black stood up to protest, but the man in white stood as well and took a key from the desk. He unlocked the chains binding her and helped her to stand.
    She stood feeling freer and lighter than she ever had.

    Mercy woke with a start. She looked at her alarm clock, it was hardly 2:00 AM. She threw off the covers and hurried into the living room where Robin was asleep on the couch.

    “God! Forgive me for being stubborn and help me to forgive him! Give me love!” she knelt next to his sleeping form, tears flooding her eyes. A great longing to hold him and an overwhelming love swept over her, she reached out and gently brushed his messy brown hair from his forehead. He woke at her touch.
    “Mercy?” he asked in surprise. His voice was scratchy from sleep as he propped himself on one arm and tentative yet gentle fingers brushed a tear from her face. She clung to his hand, and he pulled her into his arms, for a few minutes she couldn’t talk still shook up from the terrible reality of the dream she had just woken from. Finally she pulled back wiping away the tears with the cuffs of her sweater.
    “I need to tell you, I’ve forgiven you. I don’t want to go through life chained by bitterness.” Her voice still shook from crying. “And I hope you can forgive me.”

    “If you want, I’d like to go through life as friends instead of enemies?” Mercy said, a question in her tone. An excited and relieve smile spread across Robin’s handsome features and he pulled her back into a tight embrace.
    “I’d love that!” he whispered. Mercy smiled through more tears. The intense relief and joy nearly drowning her.

    Mercy had never believed in miracles but now she knew, only a miracle and a forgiving God could explain this second chance she had been given and the way her chains had been unlocked.