My Stance On...

The death penalty...

As you may know, the State of New Mexico recently repealed the death penalty. My ultimate stance on the death penalty is that God judges in the end. So why does it matter how we are judged for our actions here on earth in this life? Even though we are judged by our creator I still have a stance on this subject...

I currently do not have confidence in our criminal justice system as it stands right now. Why should the system as it currently operates be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime?

Governor Richardson recently made a statement and couldnt have been more accurate. He said "faced with the reality that our system for imposing the death penalty can never be perfect, my conscience compels me to replace the death penalty with a solution that keeps society safe". The bill that was passed replaces the death penalty with life without the possibility for parole.

Because I have experience in having a family member go through the judicial system to be convicted of a crime I know how hard it is on a family member, regardless if you are a family member of the victim or accused, to go through this process. Every time there is a court hearing, a conviction, an appeal, the focus is on the defendant, but the family still has to go through it all again and again. It's very, very hard for the families. It reopens the wounds each time.

God judges us in the end. We are taught through His teaching to be a forgiving person. I do not feel we have the right to put anyone to death, regardless of their actions, because in the end, they will be judged by Him, and that alone puts me at ease!