I fully support capital punishment for murder

Dec.08.06

EDITOR: As our nation formally nears the end of wrapping up the process of the review of our Constitution I thank God for the privilege of making my contribution as a patriotic citizen who upholds the philosophy and practice of protection and preservation of the rights of all citizens. In light of this, I pen my emphatic support of the retention of the death penalty or ‘capital punishment’. Section 339(a) of the CRC Revised Final Report states that “capital punishment should be retained for murder, treason and high treason.”{{more}}

Capital punishment is described as punishment for a crime, such as murder, by being put to death.

I will not, like the opponents of the death penalty, reason emotionally on this very important matter because emotions change. Therefore I allow safe God-ordained principles to be the basis of my support of capital punishment.

The antagonists base their stance on a number of flaw-filled arguments such as: state sponsored murder, unforgiveness, irregularities in justice system, non-deterrent and decrease in murder rate in countries where death penalty has been abolished.

It is only a person with a twisted reasoning, void of justice that will equate capital punishment, a just penalty for murder, to state sponsored murder. With such a position one will be drawn to the erroneous conclusion that God is a murderer, since the death penalty is God-ordained. Consider the following, ‘ whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man’ …but if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.’ (Gen. 9:6; Rom.13:4)

The state has a responsibility to sacredly regard and ensure that the rights of every individual are protected by other citizens. Whenever these rights are violated, the state’s duty is to execute the just penalties for wrong doing. Forgiveness is a matter between man and his God. Through repentance and conversion the murderer may receive forgiveness from God, but that does not free him from his present consequences for his heinous crime/s. Justice and satisfaction must be served.

Irregularities in the justice system are no justification to abandon the death penalty. There may be innocent persons in jail. Does this mean that prisons should be shut down?

If in the face of the death penalty, an individual shows blatant disregard for another life, then I say, without reserve, that he/she does not deserve to live and can only have a negative, evil influence on society. This drives me, even the more, to conclude that we must really retain capital punishment in our constitution.

Ann-Marie John