To the Editor:
I read with interest the well written editorial “Killing the Guilty does not Honor the Dead” in the March 19, 2015, edition. While advancing strong arguments for abolishing the death penalty, it ignores what Pope Francis said when he called for abolishment “for those who commit less heinous crimes.”
While my views are no doubt influenced by legal background and military service, I believe that there are times when human beings forfeit their right to live, especially in cases involving heinous crimes. For example, consider cases of indiscriminate maiming and killing. I wonder if this same editorial would have been written if our runner/editor had lost her legs after having run 26.2 miles in the Boston Marathon or if her husband/son/father had lost his life as did those involved in the Fort Hood massacre. There must be a way to address those types of crimes.
It is easy to call for abolishment of the death penalty — it makes one feel good! And it certainly is politically correct in this day and age. But, is it the right thing to do? I don’t think so. I stand with the 32 states that allow the death penalty.
Respectively,
Tom Kamp
LeClaire, Iowa
