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Aug 8, 2004 Our esteemed colleague here at Useless Knowledge, Michael John McCrae, has mentioned on a couple of occasions here that all the states of our Union should have the death penalty, and that murder, in particular, calls out for this specific brand of justice. In some conversations that we’ve had off the board, he’s laid out to me his case for that call, citing the Scriptures themselves to proof his point. Not to anyone’s surprise, I countered with some Scripture of my own to indicate that what we’re doing is akin to denying Jesus’s blood shed at Calvary. But after much reflection, prayer, and thought, I think Michael may have a valid point. And if we’re going to have the death penalty in this country, we need to do it right. That will mean doing the following things: 1) Each state would be required to rewrite their criminal codes to authorize the death penalty for first-degree murder, murder in the commission of a second felony (like armed robbery), adultery, fornication, disobedience to parents, rape, blasphemy and perjury (or bearing false witness against a neighbor), among other crimes. That includes abolitionist states like Michigan and North Dakota, states that are abolitionist-in-fact like Kansas and Montana, and death-penalty core states like Florida and South Carolina. US territories including Guam and Puerto Rico would also be held to this standard, as would the Justice Department (for federal offenses, including treason) and the Defense Department (for military offenses). 2) Executions would take place within the boundaries of individual cities, or cities closest to unincorporated areas. That means that an execution could take place anytime, anywhere, without having to transport the condemned to a central, state-run facility. The federal government and the military would also be able to conduct an execution in any location it saw fit. 3) Each jurisdiction would be responsible for conducting capital trials, and the judgments rendered in those courts would be final. That means that there would be no appellate courts at the state or federal level. Executions would be carried out no later than 72 hours after the passage of sentence. Executions on holidays and/or Sundays would be considered acceptable, in the interest of justice. And to ensure due process, the courts could delay any execution to consider any evidence that may exonerate the condemned, but only if that evidence is delivered prior to the execution. 4) Each jurisdiction would be responsible for choosing between stoning and hanging as its primary method of execution. Modern methods of execution, including electrocution, firing squad, lethal injection and lethal gas would be outlawed. 5) All executions would be opened to the general public. There would be some distinct advantages to this system: 1) The costs of capital trials would go way down. Even if the trial went on for a while, there wouldn’t be a lengthy appeals process afterward, so billions of dollars would be saved. 2) The victims of capital crimes would get closure a few days after the trial ended, instead of having to wait through years of appeals and stays. 3) The death penalty would become less of a political football and more of the deterrent to crime that it should be. Of course, there’s one major risk involved. It is possible that innocent people would be stoned or hung accidentally. But to keep the wheels of justice turning and adhere to a death-penalty system worthy of the Bible, that kind of risk is inevitable. Those responsible for stoning or hanging those innocents would have to bear up to the unenviable task of explaining their errors to God, not to anyone else. So, if we can get everyone on the same pages, the United States would have a workable, judicially-sound death penalty. How could we go wrong, when we put our full faith in God’s Word to lead us? Let’s not beat around the bush any longer. Let’s put it in play and bring justice back to America. ------------ About the author: If the death penalty worked like it should, Claxton Graham would support it. Until it does, though, he'll have to put up with with being branded as a liberal because he'll continue to voice his opposition to it. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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