The following comes from a January 14 California Catholic Conference article:
After having its death penalty protocols repeatedly ruled unconstitutional, California will once again attempt to rewrite the process to comply with court rulings. The California Catholic Conference will be among many speaking out against the use of the death penalty and the protocols at the [January 22] hearing.
Nineteen states have already eliminated its use and just this week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Florida’s protocols unconstitutional. In addition to the U.S., only four other industrialized nations use the punishment. China puts more people to death than any other nation followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United States.
California holds 746 people on San Quentin’s Death Row. The last execution in the state was Jan. 17, 2006.
Consistency in the abhorrence of violence is the hallmark of the Church’s teaching on the death penalty. In the Culture of Life and the Death Penalty the U.S. Bishops also point to the fact that state-sanctioned killing diminishes us all, the application of capital punishment is flawed and inconsistent, and that the state has other ways of punishing criminals.
One word: Nembutal.
Manufacturing of barbiturates, excellent sleeping aids by the way, has been prohibited by death penalty opponents.
Indeed – the State has other ways of punishing criminals.
However – the question remains (as with Crips Boss Tookie Williams) – how do you prevent Criminals from harming others, even when locked up – when they can give commands to Kill and have them followed?
Rehabilitation is always preferred, but how do you protect the Innocent from those who have no interest in rehabilitation but rather are just looking for their next victim?
Pray to Mary for the conversion of sinners. Humans want to do everything by their own power.
The state should not be able to execute, but should be able to force others to participate in suicide of another? When the state executed, and people suicided by their own hands, both had gas available. For the suicider, they closed the garage door, started the engine, turned on their favorite radio station, took a nap. Why is this method not proposed? Air pollution or what?