The World of Grandpa Don

"Give them a fair trial and then hang them! "

This was the attitude expressed in the old West and it has carried on to the present. Last week outgoing Governor George Ryan commuted the sentences of all 167 Illinois 'death row' prisoners from death to life in prison. I try not to engage in politics on this web site but this situation gets to me. 

To start with, Ryan is either a criminal himself or the most stupid man alive because of what has gone on under his direction, both as Governor and Secretary of State. Setting that aside, ...  His last act as Governor is commendable,  ... or ... it would be if done for the right reason. 

The system is bad ... that is true. Police and prosecutors are driven by the need to "close the case" and mollify the blood lust of the victims of crime and the public in general. This is true for capital as well as all other crime. Somehow, police and prosecutors must be inspired to seek the truth, not just pin the rap on the first likely suspect. These same people must also be educated to the attitude that when a mistake has been made they do not take it as a personal affront to acknowledge the error and turn to the truth. 

Evidence should be gathered diligently and legally. However, if the police do break the law in gathering evidence, it is still evidence! 

Judges should not be permitted to throw away real evidence. Instead, those who broke the law obtaining that evidence illegally should be dealt with and prosecuted. 

That is what should be fixed. But I said Ryan did what he did for the wrong reason.  Maybe he used the 'broken system'  reason as an excuse for the right reason.  I don't know. 

The right reason is that the Capital Punishment is wrong! We are considered as being barbaric in the western world by clinging to this outmoded concept of justice.

 Some nations refuse to extradite criminals to the US because of our use of the death penalty. The abolition of the death penalty would bring us to a higher state of civilization. 

It may take a generation or two, but people must be educated to the fact that you can not eradicate murder by killing murders. 

People must also be educated to know that the death penalty does not lesson the initial crime and vengeance does not heal the wrong. If we must kill something, let it be capital punishment!

Also see The Death Penalty

Don Plefka
01/16/03