Today there will be another execution in the State of Alabama. This time the man is Jason Williams, who in 1992 gunned down 4 people in a rage sparked by an unstable relationship with his estranged wife. He claims he was out of control at the time of the killing, high on drugs and alcohol. But his actions claimed four other innocent lives.
Relationships make this case the harder: one of those killed was a man who took Williams in and offered him shelter. The other three victims were members of a family, living nearby. And of course the relationship with his wife was problematic.
But there is one more relationship in this case, one that touches me in a personal way: a friend and member of Our Savior parish is a friend of his. She called me last night to pray for him, not knowing that I will in fact be at the prayer vigil in front of the Cathedral this afternoon, praying for him, his victims, their families: and for his friend at Our Savior as well. Even murderers have friends and family…
I am completely convinced that there is no necessity for our State to engage in executions of murderers in order to serve the cause of justice. I believe this, regardless of the guilt of the one convicted of the crime—which in this case, as in many others, there is really no doubt. Are there extenuating circumstances? Perhaps there are. But he in fact took 4 lives, including that of a man who was trying to be his friend. And in the name of justice, there must be some punishment. Especially if there is no reasonable hope of rehabilitation, society and the surviving members of these families deserve to be protected. Life in prison with no possibility of parole can accomplish this.
I will witness this afternoon in prayer to the hope that we can overcome our willingness, as a society, to confuse retribution with revenge. I refuse to believe that taking a life is the only way of punishing a person for taking a life. Individually and as a State, we are (and should act as though we are) better than those who have such lack of regard for the fundamental dignity of the human person. We must remember that even murderers retain this fundamental dignity, no matter how bad their crimes.
Other states and other nations get along quite well without the death penalty. One day, please God, Alabama will as well.
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As always, right on the mark, Fr. David.
ReplyDeleteMarie G.
"I am completely convinced that there is no necessity for our State to engage in executions of murderers in order to serve the cause of justice", I absolutely agree with this statement.
ReplyDelete"Individually and as a State, we are (and should act as though we are) better than those who have such lack of regard for the fundamental dignity of the human person.", Amen. I also think that when individuals who may be hurting and feeling so much anger and pain at the loss of a loved one are thinking of revenge, it's important that we as a society help protect their integrity and their spirits. I would think that wishing another person would die for committing murder and then watching that wish come to be a reality can be very unsettling and would bring a nagging guilt into the heart and soul of a good person who was lost in their emotions and their grief. We all need to be carried sometimes and I think it would be so much better to help those who want, need and deserve justice to have that justice but to have it in a way that doesn't compromise who they are and what they truly value and believe.