the larger one of whether the small chance of an execution of an innocent person should lead to the abolition of the death penalty.
I hope it helps lead to it.
But for me, the issue is not that the chance of executing innocents is the reason it should be abolished.
It's that we shouldn't be executing the guilty either.
The issue is that we shouldn't be executing other human beings. IMO.
The state can call it retributive justice or deliberative procedures or all sorts of other terms and those all roll off my back and brain, because although those terms are real and used in real debate...they're just not my vocabulary for it.
i'm just past the legal/societal arguments for it. I interviewed Stanley Kunitz once, and he said, "Of all the instruments of power, the state is most monstrous." (Meaning, more than weapons, more than wars...but the state itself is monstrous in its codfication of things like killing.)
My vocabulary for it is not taken from the law. I didn't take in all of Christ but the Chrisit I knew was saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And I don't know if I misunderstood his render things of Caesar (the state) unto Caesar...if that meant let Ceasar go on executing, it's not our business.
I don't know what he meant. I still love him but am not likely to agree with everything he said.
I just remember that my Jesus-and-me childhood got me quite clearly a sense (other side of the reality planet from a justice systems' rationale) that in the golden core of what he was, the part I was affected by and totally trusted...took me long to "Thou shalt not kill" and I thought that covered how we humans are supposed to treat each other.
Falling alssp, wth a heart of love for my Mudpuppy pal...thanks, Mud, for coming on to talk about it.
xo
Hops
