Whatever Happened to "An Eye For An Eye"?

While I’ve never been one to consider myself an inhumane individual – I’m the type of person who swerves to avoid hitting squirrels ... not to mention I absolutely hate guns – I’ll be the first to admit that abolishing capital punishment is a heinous idea. Recently, there have been a slew of articles written in favor of abolishing the death penalty all across the country. Personally, I don’t see why Wisconsin, or any of the other 14 states (and Washington, D.C.) that have already abolished the death penalty, chose to do so. I once read somewhere that revenge is the primary motivation behind capital punishment and that true healing can only happen through forgiveness and repentance. As true as that may be for some, it still astounds me that taxpayers would rather keep murderers alive – and pay to do so – instead of ridding the world of them altogether. And in this faltering economy, there seems to be a peculiar upswing in murder rates.

In Chippewa County, alone, there have been three murders since late February. That’s an average of one a month, people. Speaking as a former resident of that county, that’s a staggering statistic. Clearly, criminals are not perturbed by the thought that life in prison is the worst punishment they will receive if convicted. Hell, for some, that may be a step up from how they’re living now. I mean, in prison, they’ll be served three meals a day and have free room and board without having to go out and earn a living or have any major responsibilities. Aside from living with the guilt – though some may not even feel that emotion – of taking a life, it’s a fairly easy way to get by ... and on taxpayer dollars, no less. I don’t know about you, but it really burns my toast that our hard-earned money is going toward housing these criminals. Whatever happened to the old “eye for an eye” philosophy?

According to Amnesty International, one of the primary anti-capital punishment organizations, “the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to life ... It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.”

Surely our forefathers would look at us and laugh that we’re refusing to put people to death because it’s “cruel and unusual,” especially considering how said human being got to that point in the justice system in the first place. I, for one, think it’s cruel and unusual for a deranged man to stab a teenager to death while he sleeps. But given that Wisconsin doesn’t have the death penalty and he’s entered an insanity plea, I’m sure he’ll get off easy. And, while we’re on that subject, I don’t care much for the idea that murderers can plead insanity and be given the benefit of the doubt – and the possibility of a lesser sentence. Sure, that individual may have been acting in a fit of rage or in the heat of the moment, but does that make them any less of a threat to society? Not in my eyes. Is it just me or is our liberal justice system being a little too liberal in its treatment of cold-blooded murderers?

Jennie Oemig
Editor
Arcadia News-Leader