Death Takes A Holiday

Site of Reference: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050301/D88I8SPO1.html

I have always felt that the Death penalty is wrong. It is as some say, “Government sponsored murder.” Those like me who believe that capitol punishment is wrong, though unexpected, have won today a victory. The AP is reporting,
“The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in 19 states.
The 5-4 decision throws out the death sentences of about 70 juvenile murderers and bars states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes.
The executions, the court said, were unconstitutionally cruel.”
I agree completely with the Supreme Court for a change, it is “unconstitutionally cruel.” It is so refreshing to hear the constitution mentioned during the Bush years. President Bush comes from Texas where more people are executed every year. Now take former Republican governor of Illinois, George H. Ryan. Former Governor George Ryan pardoned 167 people who were on death row because he felt that the death penalty was wrong. The most surprising point of this is that the Governor is a Republican. The apple doesn’t always fall too far from the tree but sometime, just sometimes maybe the apple is so sweet it tends to just float down with ease.

The AP also reports, “It was the second major defeat at the high court in three years for supporters of the death penalty. Justices in 2002 banned the execution of the mentally retarded, also citing the Constitution's Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishments.” Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “How good bad music and bad reasons sound when we are marching into battle against an enemy.” The thumping of the drums you hear today are not protestors outside the capitol protesting the Death penalty, it’s the sound of the president’s fingers rapping on the desk in the oval office biding his time until Chief Justice Rehnquist retires.

- Chris Mansel