April 20, 2017 was a day of injustice in America when Arkansas brought state killing back to life. The world held its’ collective breathe as America resumed killing its’ own citizens in self-defined justice.
The focal point is Arkansas, where some are aching to save their drugs from expiring which would put the process of expiring human life into pause. Their plan is to kill as many as possible before midazolam expires and must be trashed. The rapid kill strategy is also because drugs for the purpose of state killing are getting harder to obtain. The pharmaceutical industry has stated unequivocally that it will not sell drugs for the purpose of execution. Switching to an alternate method of state homicide may result in other barriers to execution.These reasons and revenge under the guise of being ‘tough on crime’ are characteristics of a misguided nation. The world is watching, aghast and in anger. This state killing spree is being covered by journalists and film makers from around the world, where debate over this as ‘justice’ was over long ago. Their attention is not unusual since we share executioner status with only four other G7 nations whom we consider rogue and ruthless.
So how do Americans regard this ultimate, ugly, extreme end of punishment? The death penalty has been losing favour among Americans over they years. Arguments against the death penalty seem to be getting through to change minds. Simply being unjust is at the top of my list for opposition but the list is very long yet with full recognition that brutal crime must always be met with the strongest measures to first assure safety of citizenry, with some convicted never again to see freedom in the outside world. A discussion of arguments in opposition, however, is not the point of this writing.
National Public Radio, one report in particular, is the point. The morning after the first execution, which is when the death penalty tends to become a sound bite in our country, the nation got its’ tidbit in a manner that was highly misleading; Despite the reporter delivering stories of a more balanced nature at other times. This is a critical time of day in the news cycle with the largest audience wanting the latest as they wakeup to the world. This is also the time they may shift perspective and form opinion.
During a non-peak hour, the same reporter told the story of the world coming to Arkansas to watch and question how and why America continues this barbarity. But the morning news is when America tends to listen, often with one eyeball still shut. That was when they heard brief facts of who was killed, some detail of the crime and the time of death. This report was ended with the comment of a single person at the vigil outside the governor’s mansion in Little Rock. She was quoted in a simple statement, awash in holy emotion. His last meal was communion. This broke her Christian heart and she began to weep.
The death penalty takes easy refuge in religion. Except the death penalty is secular. It can exist or be argued as a great wrong, entirely outside of the realm of religion. An atheist can make excellent arguments against the death penalty. Christianity does not need to be invoked.
This NPR report misleads by the narrowing or portraying this pubic policy as the purview of Jesus Christ and his followers. I know a number of phenomenal people who actively oppose the death penalty. They oppose with all of their might, some using up much of their life to do so. A few have been victimized in horrific ways, most are families of victims who mercifully gain strength and guidance through their religious faith. The fight against this faulty and failed attempt at justice has an unofficial leader most of the world knows because of her own tireless work that inspired first, a book and then a popular movie. She would be known as the Dead Man Walking Nun, and refers to herself as such. While some activists confuse evangelism with opposition to the death penalty, Sister Helen Prejean does not.
While the death penalty, the wrongly convicted, and victim families may rightly be served by religion, justice, murder, state murder, forgiveness and healing can be entirely secular. Or of faith by a different name.
A most powerful and profound video taken a few years back in the Middle East was of a mother whose son was murdered by another young man in a fight. It was this mother’s right to place the noose around the neck of the convicted man. As a chill precedes image and steals one’s breath in suspense, the mother approaches the condemned man, raises her arm and slaps him across the face with all of her might. She then removes the noose and turns to his mother offering embrace. They weep in each other’s arms. The argument against the death penalty in this case may have been of Islam. If so, then too, the lesson of mercy, healing and forgiveness.
These are lessons Americans need to learn if we care to fully question and accept accountability for state murder. The death certificate of the executed reads “homicide”. The state is killing for YOU.
The country has also marked another date this past week, the 158th man was exonerated from death row. Anyone wishing to put on the executioner’s mask and do the task? It is certain there are many who would do so, perhaps removed from sight or in anonymity.
But in true justice and fairness, this public policy deserves to be fairly framed. If not, those who are not Christian may turn away entirely. Now since this is public policy and part of our justice system, perhaps we should establish a list with the names of all citizens, as with jury duty. When your number comes up, it is your time to kill. Would you like a hood to hide your face? And a John or Jane doe to protect your name? Perhaps you could be part of a panel of 12, just as in a jury, all having to perform the same killing action so no one ever knows who does the actual killing. This may easily be regarded with outrage, but it would be one way for all Americans to reckon with the machinery of death, established and carried out in their name.