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Taking a Stand Against the Death Penalty
By Martin S. Pinales
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President's Column columns.
It would be a great day in our nation’s history if we joined the other
enlightened nations of the world and abolished the death penalty. I am
amazed that the United States, the world leader in so many areas, finds
it morally acceptable to follow the notion of “an eye for an eye.”
Capital punishment is state-authorized murder, and any form of murder is
immoral and should not be tolerated.
On a recent trip to Chicago with my 12-year-old granddaughter, Sofia, I
was listening to the radio as it gave the details of the execution of
Saddam Hussein. Sofia asked what was happening. After pondering some, I
said, “Saddam Hussein did some very bad things and he even killed a lot
of people.” I’m sure the death penalty has never been discussed with her
before. I explained that he had received a trial and his punishment was
that he would be executed. After a moment of thought, Sofia said it was
wrong to punish anyone by killing them. It would be better to lock him
up for
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