The Death Penalty

Last September, a woman (23) was stoned to death in Somalia. Her alleged crime was stated as ‘Adultery’. In some countries this punishment can be justified due for reasons such as: homosexuality, political dissent, rape, adultery. Very often these ‘crimes’, are sometimes in conflict with fanatical religious organisations. However the woman’s sister told Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) that “the stoning was totally irreligious and illogical". The Somali authorities may say that the punishment was acceptable in Islamic law but pain is pain in anyone’s language.

Here in Ireland the Catholic Church stayed silent for a long time and did not challenge capital punishment. Archbishop McQuaid could have been more vocal on that issue as some of his successors no doubt would be. The last person to be hanged here was in 1954 and there is zero chance that anyone would be deprived of life, in this way, by the state these days.

The murders of Dt Garda Jerry Mc Cabe, Shane Geoghan, Robert Holohan, and many others have not been punished by execution and most civilised nations do not resort to capital punishment in modern times. Governments should not be taking life. In Ireland there is a very strong lobby against Abortion and whenever the subject is up for discussion many people feel outraged. How can it be acceptable for there to be protection (anti-abortion) of life that goes side by side with capital punishment?

In the case of the murder of Jill Dando, Barry George, the chief suspect, was found to be innocent. Mr George, it was later revealed in a Sky News interview, had mental difficulties and clearly had no way of rebuffing his accusers, the Police. If the death sentence were allowed in the UK it is likely that George would now be dead – a huge miscarriage of justice.

In conclusion, if slavery was re-introduced in the western world there would be an outcry. Similarly execution would be inhuman.. Perhaps the most notorious prisoner of all, Nelson Mandela, said in his memoirs, ‘Long Walk to Freedom’: “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden, but never extinguished.” Everyone has the right to repent and change, even the criminal. It is for the above reasons that the death penalty is wrong and should not be allowed.