The Death Penalty

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   Today's Journal...pieces of the article

Commentary: Voices rise up against death penalty in Ohio

A growing chorus of voices is calling for a re-examination of the death penalty in Ohio. Among the most powerful voices: Ohio’s Catholic bishops; Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer; former attorney general Jim Petro; and former state prison director Terry Collins.

And now, some political leaders are calling for Ohio to re-examine the death penalty — even Pfeifer, who served as chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee when Ohio debated the capital punishment bill in 1981.

“The time has come to put an end to the death penalty,” he said. “The governor should commute the sentences of everyone on death row to life without the possibility of parole. For the majority of them that wasn’t an option at the time of their sentencing.”

State Rep. Ted Celeste, D-Grandview Heights, is drafting a bill calling for the end to the death penalty in Ohio.

Celeste is referring not only to the extravagant cost of protracted litigation, but also the emotional toll on victims’ families. HOW ABOUT THE EXTRAVAGANT COSTS OF KEEPING A PERSON ALIVE FOR YEARS UNTIL THEIR NATURAL DEATH, TAKEN OFF DEATH ROW, AND MAINTAINING HIS LIFE FOR WHAT REASON? THEY HAD THE CHANCE, AS WE ALL DO, TO LIVE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAWS OF SOCIETY AND FAILED TO DO SO. THEY MURDERED AND MUST SURRENDER THEIR LIFE ALSO IMO.

Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions, said for the first time in a long time, the momentum is building against capital punishment. He added, “America is supposed to be a shining beacon for the rest of the world. But with the death penalty, we’re not.” SORRY KEVIN WERNER.....THIS NATION HAVING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ISN'T THE REASON WE AREN'T A "SHINING BEACON" FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.I STILL THINK THE ONES WANTING TO ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ARE IN THE MINORITY. IMO, MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEIR TAX DOLLARS GOING TO FEED AND HOUSE A PERSON WHO HAS DECIDED TO MURDER ANOTHER PERSON. THIS IS ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO "SOFTEN" AN OTHERWISE HARD CRUEL WORLD OUT THERE BY PEOPLE WHO CAN'T STAND TO SEE PEOPLE RECEIVING A PUNISHMENT THAT FITS THE CRIME. TOO MUCH KINDER/GENTLER EXCUSES AND NOT ENOUGH ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ONE'S ACTIONS AGAIN, IMO. IS THIS TYPE OF "GENTLER" THINKING REALLY GOOD FOR THIS NATION OR SHOULD WE START FORCING PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AGAIN? I HOPE THIS GOES NO FURTHER THAN JUST TALK. AS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THEY NOW WANT TO TAKE THE DETERRENT FOR PROPER BEHAVIOR OUT OF SOCIETY. WONDER HOW MANY MORE MURDERS WILL OCCUR IF THEY REMOVE THE DEATH PENALTY? I WOULD THINK THE MURDER RATE WILL INCREASE AS THERE WILL BE NO "ULTIMATE" PRICE TO PAY. JMO