I have always been against the death penalty. How can taking a like do anything to restore the life of the one murdered? Does it really give satisfaction? Can death like this be healing or restorative? Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on the death penalty in his state.
Here is an excerpt from the CNN report on Newsom’s decision:
Newsom noted that there are 737 people on death row in California — 25 of whom have exhausted their appeals — meaning that the state is tasked with “executing more people than any state in modern American history; (lining) up human beings every single day for execution for two plus years…”It’s a very emotional place that I stand in,” he said, noting that the subject was once “an abstract question” for him, but now he is “the backstop” for any execution that takes place in California. “And so I am expressing this is not from (a) paradigm of politics. It’s not a situational conversation for me. This is about who I am as a human being. … To me this is the right thing to do.” Citing a National Academy of Sciences report estimating that 1 out of every 25 people on death row is innocent, Newsom said he could not countenance the odds of putting an innocent person to death.
I’m with you Governor Newsom. Neither could I…and neither can I. I cannot support any legislative action that could take innocent life. Not on political or even religious ground. But to use Gov. Newsom’s own words: “This is about who I am as a human being. … To me this is the right thing to do.”
I pray that Gov. Gavin Newsom would apply the same moral countenance to the 160,000 innocent lives that are annually on the abortion death row in California. 100% of them are innocent. How about a moratorium for this Governor Newsome?
I applaud you today. I promise more than applause when you show that human courage to do the right thing.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you -Jeremiah 1:5
I’m not in agreement with you on the elimination of the death penalty. I’m more of a Hammurabi Code philosophy when this issue is discussed. Why should we support those who have broken a serious law? Remove them from the population permanently. Many who are placed on death row are unable to be rehabilitated, either by choice or circumstance. This is the only time when state-sponsored death should be permitted.
You’re not alone Bill … but please refer to this for some further pondering 5:38-48