What would He do?
Dear editor:
Lloyd Hoffman and I probably do not agree about the difference between events being allowed by God, and events being caused by God. In his letter of April 30, 2017, he refers to those “God has put in place, to bring about the proper punishment upon them,” referring to jurors and judges sending convicted criminals to the death chamber. I wish I had his confidence in our legal system. He seems to be saying that what happens in the courtroom is brought about by God. I wonder how innocent people get convicted, only to be exonerated years later by DNA results or some other evidence? Of course, if they have been executed already, the best we can say when new evidence overturns convictions is, “Oops! Sorry about that!”
I just finished reading a study that concluded that four out of a hundred convicted criminals on death row were innocent. Four out of a hundred. And the study said that the number could be a lot higher than four.
I also read that some people accept that ratio as being all right, considering that 96 got what they deserved. Interesting. I wonder: What if they had been among the four?
Mr. Hoffman says, “If we could only experience firsthand the tragic hardships these poor people suffered from those wicked, criminal law breakers, perhaps we might begin to look at things with a far different perspective!”
Well said. But we need to look at the suffering on both sides of the issue. I have great empathy with the ones who have lost family members. But I am also in sympathy with the ones who lose family members through the death penalty — especially if they were innocent.
Several years ago, there was a popular movement called, “What would Jesus do?” Adherents were supposed to stop and think before they took steps in serious choices and actions. Before I do this, I need to consider: What would Jesus do in this situation?
Recently, I had a nightmare. I was among the witnesses at Cummins, waiting for the moment of truth when a man was to be put to death for a crime he did or did not commit. He was there because he had been found guilty by a jury of his peers, and all appeals had been exhausted. Whether he was guilty or whether not all relative evidence had been discovered, or — it really did not matter. He was losing his life.
The warden looked through the window at us and he saw Jesus among the spectators. Impressed, he motioned to the honored guest to come into the room and to press the button which would start the deadly flow of chemicals.
I awoke in a cold sweat, with the question hanging over my fuzzy brain:
Would He do it? C.G. Smith Hot Springs