Nathan Exposed » The Death Penalty

The Death Penalty

I’ve always had a bit of a struggle dealing with the death penalty. I’m not a big fan of killing people, no matter if it’s murder, war, or sentenced by law. They have different names and different circumstances, but what it all comes down to is the same - you’re taking away someone’s life. Regardless of right or wrong, a human is being stolen from this earth.

I guess that’s the Catholic in me. When I was growing up, it was ingrained in my sub-conscious that we have no right to end the life of someone else. For all the things I disagree with in Catholicism, I do agree with that. I don’t like the death penalty, regardless of whether someone might “deserve” to die.

So today it was announced that the U.S. is going to pursue the death penalty against the 6 detainees who helped carry out the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Hearing this news just changes something in me. It causes an immediate shift in my heart. I go from thinking “The death penalty is wrong” to “Kill them! Kill them now!”

It’s amazing what passion and hatred September 11th brings out in us. You can have a very peaceful view of the rest of the world, but when it comes to getting vengeance for that one day, even the softest hearts turn to ice when thinking about the terrorists.

Tough topics. I guess if there were ever a group of people I did feel deserve the death penalty, it would be these guys. Saying that causes pain inside me, because I never want to feel that way about anyone. But when it comes to these guys, I just do.

Mon, Feb 11, 2008 @ 3:52 pm | Filed in Life | Permalink

3 Comments

Uhm, I still think they should be kept alive but under imprisonment. Isn’t living in anguish more punishment than dying straight away?

Posted by danny on Mon, Feb 11, 2008 @ 8:01 pm

I am with you Nathan, I am not a big fane of the death penalty. Its not our call who should die and who should live.

Posted by Cincinnati NAMjA on Mon, Feb 11, 2008 @ 9:05 pm

I think the death penalty is warranted in some cases but not all of them.

I didn’t always feel that way. There was a time when I was against the death penalty. That is until I experienced a wrongful death in my own family.

After reading your post, Nathan, I decided to write about that experience on my blog. I thought writing about it would somehow help make that part of my life easier.

After writing the article, I’m not so sure about that. I don’t really know what I expected to feel afterwards. Life goes on as they say.

Posted by Lika Starr on Thu, Feb 14, 2008 @ 1:14 am