Column for March 1, 2007

Flipping the switch on "Old Sparky"

I highly value human life. I can say for a certainty that God values life, as well. That is why he put the ultimate price on the taking of innocent life. He is the one who invented the death penalty, not man. God is not schizophrenic, so I figure that he didn't change his mind on the topic of murder and the punishment thereof.

The State of North Carolina is heatedly debating the death penalty. Death penalty opponents claim that the proposed moratorium on executions is not an attempt to thwart the existence of the death penalty in this state. I don't buy it at all. There is an agenda at work here.

Medical boards have decided that it is unethical for a doctor to comply with the law and have a physician participate in lethal injection executions. It was a stupid requirement in the law to begin with. Let's change the law. Either that or allow the judicial process to strike down that provision. That won't happen, though, since the liberal judiciary only takes activist stands on liberal issues, not conservative. Personally, I hate judicial activism with a passion. I do believe that it can cut both ways, though. It just doesn't.

Genesis 9:6 "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

Romans 13:3-4 "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

What part of both then New and Old Testament is so hard to comprehend in this?

Not that I relish the thought of taking someone's life or seeing someone "step into eternity" and into Hell, but I just believe what those verses say. I believe it to the point that I would be willing to perform the execution myself. I have no problem flipping the switch on "Old Sparky", pulling the trigger, or jabbing someone with a needle if that is the sentence. I do not say that I will not have a few feelings of my own to sort out afterwards, but I do believe it to be righteous and therefore believe it to be just and right.

I just wish that our elected officials had the guts to have the same resolve. I am tired of hearing about the moratorium, protesters, and from whiners. I have seen several articles and watched news reports in the local media about the death penalty, a moratorium on executions, and power plays to cease the use of the death penalty indefinitely.

In our state legislature, committee recommended legislation that would let convicts appeal their death sentences if they can allege that the sentences were based on racial discrimination. How in the world is the sentence based upon race? If someone committed murder, then they get whacked themselves. Simple. It does not matter about the race of the convict. The only fact that should matter is "has he/she been found guilty of murder?" If the answer is "yes", then it is time to whack a convict.

Our Lieutenant Governor, Beverly Perdue has publicly stated that the state should impose a moratorium on executions until some esoteric, supposedly "constitutional" questions about how the state carries out the death penalty are resolved. What constitutional questions? How is something as easy as lethal injection cruel and unusual for punishment? Personally, I believe it to be too easy a form of execution. The victim of the murder they committed probably died a far more violent or painful death. It is painless and non violent. The end result is the same, but the convict gets off light.

To our elected representatives and all opponents of the death penalty, grow a spine, let government be a terror to evil, bear not the sword in vain, be the minister of God, and execute wrath upon him that does evil.