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14.DOC
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1994-12-19
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ESSAY 14
THE "NO ONE DESERVES TO DIE" MYTH
Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun contends that
capital punishment "promotes no deterrence whatsoever. . .
capital punishment is sheer, pure retribution." (THE KANSAS
CITY STAR, February 17, 1993). Could it be that Justice
Blackmun is manifesting the psychological mechanism of
compensation? He was supportive of Roe Vs Wade and indirect-
ly shares in the murder of 31,000,000 preborn children. Guilt
does some strange things in the human psyche.
Once a murderer is executed, he can never murder another
human being! In this sense, capital punishment IS a deter-
rent. Of course it is never right to punish someone "as an
example for others."
Every criminal has a right to a speedy trial and en-
forcement of sentence, otherwise the delay itself could be-
come a cruel and unusual [mental] punishment. Also, a speedy
trial and sentence should be a deterrent to all forms of
crime, including murder.
While serving as an Army Chaplain, part of my duty was
visiting prisoners. One particular murderer comes to mind--
even imprisonment did not stop him from continuing to kill.
His last victim, that I know of, was a prison guard. Even
in the most secure areas of prison, there will be opportuni-
ties to kill.
If Bob Bardella had been executed after he murdered his
first victim, then he could not have murdered anyone else--
likewise Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and other serial killers.
States that do not have the death penalty have prison
inmates who "execute" and murder other inmates and guards.
These states practice capital punishment BY DEFAULT. That
is, they allow inmates to be its executioners. Since these
states are responsible for their inmates, they are responsi-
ble for every murder that occurs in their prisons! The
federal government also incurs guilt.
To its credit, Kansas recently passed a limited capital
punishment bill. However, it did not go far enough--a
limited bill says that some human life is more important than
other human life.
Some claim that the scriptures teach against capital
punishment. However, the Old Testament does teach the death
penalty for several crimes.
The Sixth Commandment is correctly translated, "You
shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13, New International Version).
People murder for different reasons. Premeditated mur-
der originates in a sociopathic person--someone with a seared
conscience. Motives include (1) hatred, (2) jealousy, (3)
covetousness (wrongful desire or violation of the Tenth
Commandment). (4) An attempt to cover another crime by mur-
dering witnesses. (5) Passion speaks of one so angry that he
loses self-control. (6) Sometimes someone who is suicidal
will become homicidal before killing himself.
(7) Euthanasia, from the Greek, "dying well," can be a
well-intentioned, but misguided action. For instance, while
I was serving as an Army Chaplain in Viet Nam, a young
soldier told me that his buddy had been wounded and was dy-
ing. His fatally wounded friend asked him to shoot him to
end his suffering. According to this young soldier, he did.
I drove him directly to the psychiatrist, because he was
suicidal.
(8) Another motive for murder is the devaluing of human
life on a rational plane. Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu is a
notorious example. Baulieu is the French inventor of the
abortifacient RU-486, who made a statement on national TV
that human life is not that valuable to him. He is reminis-
cent of evil Nazi medical doctors. The French fought the
Nazis in world war II.
Probiophobes (those who fear and hate pro-lifers) usual-
ly are quick to murder unborn and newborn children, yet get
beside themselves when a vicious murderer is about to be
executed. Their position is irrational!
(9) Some excuse murderers on the basis of "mental ill-
ness." However, there is a school of psychology that states
that there is no such thing as mental illness. Many problems
such as delusions, psychoses, even physical "organ language"
sicknesses can have their genesis in past irresponsibilities.
When the irresponsibilities are corrected, the so-called
illnesses go away--research confirms this.
(10) Sex drive can be a motive to murder. In rape, the
victim could be murdered so the one who rapes cannot be
identified. On the other hand, the rapist may kill to facil-
itate rape. I personally talked with one murderer who raped
a woman after he murdered her. He was not executed for his
double crime. Some contend that control, rather than sex
drive is the motive for rape.
(11) Then, there is the disgusting, demonical, desease
that desires the dead. Those who practice necrophilia may
kill. Those who practice cannibalism may kill.
(12) Also, one who has HIV murders his sexual partner
when he transfers the virus to him, since there is no cure
for AIDS. An example of this was published in THE KANSAS CITY
STAR, a homophile newspaper, a few years ago. A homosexual
airline steward deliberately spread HIV to his partners. The
article did not condemn this type of murder. ANY INDIVIDUAL
OR ORGANIZATION WHO SUPPORTS THE PRACTICE OF HOMOSEXUALITY
AND HETEROSEXUAL PROMISCUITY MUST SHARE IN THE GUILT OF
MURDER WITH THE WEAPON OF HIV.
(13) Some say that brain damage could be a reason to
hold a murderer not culpable. However, there are people liv-
ing today who only have half a brain (literally) and who are
functioning well in society. Some are making high grades in
school!
However, there is a place in our justice system for
pardoning murderers. State governors have this authority.
The President of the United States also has this authority
in some cases. It would seem that if a murderer no longer has
a "murderer's heart," that he should be pardoned. How does
one distinguish a prisoner with "jailhouse religion" from a
prisoner with a sincere change of heart? As a professional,
I would look for changed behavior and speech. Then, too, the
type of crime would have a bearing.
Killing and murder are not necessarily the same. War
entails killing, but it has been my experience that most of
our servicemen are not murderers and they DO NOT like killing.
Manslaughter entails the accidental killing of another
human being. The motive is different, but the effect is the
same. For instance, a mother accidentally backs her car over
her child and kills it. She is in anguish over what she did.
She does not want her child dead--but the child is dead and
the mother is guilty of killing her child, but incurs no
culpability. However, if she knew that her brakes were
defective, and their going out caused her child's death, she
incurs some culpability. Likewise the driver who is under
the influence of drugs and has an accident in which people
are killed, is guilty of manslaughter and incurs culpability
--is held accountable and will be punished.
Execution of a murderer by the state is killing, but it
incurs no culpability. If the state does not execute its
murderers, then it does incur culpability, since it allows
the murderer to commit murder over and over again. It is a
heart-wrenching dilemma, but the responsible choice must be
made. Execution is the only option for those who love life.
Prevention of murder is like prevention of disease in
the field of medicine. A speedy and just trial of murderers
would probably prevent murders. The slow process of appeals
along with some being let off because of a technicality,
certainly is less a deterrent!
Lives are saved, suffering is reduced and costs are
contained by the practice of preventative medicine. In the
same manner, character training in children would prevent
future murders, suffering of the bereaved, and unnecessary
cost to those involved and to the American taxpayer. Parents
bear primary responsibility in character training. Next comes
the church or synagogue, then the state. We cannot remove
the Ten Commandments and discipline from the classroom and
expect children to receive character training. We cannot
permeate the media with violence and immorality and expect to
produce a moral child. What a price for social experimenta-
tion! It is grievous to see the results of this experiment:
children killing other children. LET'S DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO!
END