In light of what took place in Georgia tonight, I find myself forced to reevaluate my stance on capital punishment. Up until now I have been a supporter of the death penalty, feeling that someone such as Ted Bundy, or anyone who commits heinous murders, absolutely deserves this sentencing. I formed my opinion on the matter, then went on with my life, convinced I was right. I think most people do this with any issue. They look at the information before them, make a personal judgment, and move on, comfortably convinced of their rightness. We cut out the gray and see everyone in black and white. It’s easier that way.
Deep in my gut I feel that the execution of Troy Davis was wrong. Beyond wrong. That’s when the gray started leaking back in. What did I really believe in? Okay, a person only deserves the death penalty if there is no doubt as to his/her guilt, no ifs, ands, or buts. There, I thought, there’s my absolute truth. But at the end of the day, isn’t “absolute truth” just a matter of opinion? Another of my absolute truths is that it is wrong to eat animals, while your absolute truth may be that it’s okay to consume flesh. Who is right on that one? I am, DUH, but still.
Also executed today was Lawrence Russell Brewer, a white supremacist who chained James Byrd Jr. to the back of his truck and dragged him behind it until Byrd was dead. Do I feel that Brewer’s execution was justified? Absolutely. But by supporting that verdict, am I saying that executing Troy Davis was okay? How much of a hypocrite am I now?
Can I support capital punishment if it means that innocent lives may be taken as a result? Can anyone? I have some soul searching to do now. Nothing is black or white, it’s all shades of gray now. I need to decide, once again, who I am and what I stand for.
