A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death

The Examiner ^ | 09/24/2010 | Joe Speranzella

[Catholic Examiner]

Regarding concern over yesterday's execution of Teresa Lewis I have posted some links to a video and study guide. Please watch the video.

Thanks,

bro Joe

[colorado tanker]

This one leaves me wondering how it came to this. Isn’t this the case where the guys who actually committed the murder got life terms but she got death?

[FredZarguna]

Not the least bit unusual. Manson received the death penalty, and some of his followers did not. Mafia Dons have received the death penalty when their enforcers (who actually pulled the triggers) were given much lighter sentences. The simple fact is that these two alleged men had no motive, nor would they have had the opportunity to do so, had she not been the prime-mover in the crime.

Or, are you of the opinion that the shotguns should've gotten the death penalty, but the perpetrators gone free?

Here's a small clue for you: when you find yourself on the same side of a political argument as John Grisham, it's time to reexamine your position.

To get back on-thread, I am very concerned by her execution: why did it take eight years for the People of Virginia to receive justice?

[colorado tanker]

I don’t need any clues from you, slick.

[Lurker]

Oh goody. We get to take advice from the same organization that used to burn people at the stake for heresy.

Opposition to the death penalty when it's properly applied for heinous crimes such as this one is a morally indefensible position taken by cowards.

L

[FredZarguna]

The ones that got burned at the stake were the lucky ones. A lot were just thrown into dungeons and tortured until they died of their wounds, starvation, or disease. Nor has their moral compass significantly improved (they just lack the power to participate at the same level of brutality.) This is the same outfit that currently hides behind the code "Preferential Option for the Poor," to disguise advocacy on behalf of a political system that has oppressed, murdered, and tortured more poor people than any other in history.

[FredZarguna]

Get a clue from a less slick source then. But you need to get one from somewhere if you think an injustice was done to this vicious woman. She died in a handful of seconds. The man she promised to love, honor, and obey was still gurgling when the police finally arrived hours after the crime.

[chesley]

Even if she was the least guilty, she was still guilty of murder. Would it be just for her to avoid the penalty for her crimes just because others were not fully held responsible for their own crimes?

Not in my opinion.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Opposition to the death penalty when it's properly applied for heinous crimes such as this one is

moral preening.

[Catholic Examiner]

Yes and the executed was borderline mentally retarded. Unfortunately while our law enforcement agencies get sued for mishandling these types of people, our court system has killed one.

[Catholic Examiner]

Check your history...Catholics have many martyred saints at the hand of Protestants during the reformation era. I don’t hold Billy Graham or Joel Olsteen responsible for the errors of the past. In fact JPII gave a public mea culpa for those errors his Church. Still waiting on Luther’s.

Be blessed.

[colorado tanker]

I have been pro-life and against the death penalty for a long, long time. I know the arguments and know what I believe.

This woman was guilty of murder and deserved a harsh punishment IMHO, but not death.

[colorado tanker]

She is guilty of murder. The others drew very substantial penalties and she should have too. She should have gotten life, IMHO. I don’t understand why some people think that’s getting off easy. One of the worst things I can think of would be to spend the rest of my life in prison and never live with my family again or have any personal freedom.

[Lurker]

How many people did Luther kill or order to be killed?

[Lurker]

You can “believe” you’re a Guernsey cow. That doesn’t mean we can milk you. The death penalty for murder is both Biblically and Constitutionally correct.

Those who refuse to apply it when and where it’s warranted are moral cowards.

[colorado tanker]

When you resort to name calling it’s a good sign you’ve lost the argument.

[Lurker]

Not in this case.

[chesley]

Well, because death is the proper penalty for premeditated murder.

She got what she deserved. The others got mercy

[FredZarguna]

And yet -- oddly -- nobody plea bargains down to death from life without parole. Think about why that is.

[FredZarguna]

Yes and the executed was borderline mentally retarded.

Please don't repeat every lie you hear just because you oppose the death penalty across the board. She completed high school and a semester of College in a nurses assistant program. The very court system you disdain now is the same court system that set the standard that real retardates could not be executed. Knowing precedent, the Supreme Court -- evidently not as gullible (or is it as mendacious?) as you are -- refused on September 22, 2010 to apply that standard to her case.

She was bright enough to plan the crime. How some anti-death penalty advocate psychologist hired by the ACLU scored her in prison is irrelevant to the question of whether she knew right from wrong.