Death and the death penalty.

THIS IS CURRENTLY, AS OF 8/20/19 -- IN DRAFT ... COMMENTS WELCOME... MY ESSENTIAL THINKING/POSITION IS BELOW AND AT THE LINK NOTED..

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Writing and thinking and discussing the issue of Capital Punishment - i.e. The Death Penalty ... is very difficult to do, I find. I have my opinion/position and some very important people in my life do now agree with me. I would like the people in my life to honor my wish that no person be executed for my death... and one response was one I could not agree to... and that was: will you seek the death penalty for me if I am killed? An impasse. One bottom line thought I have is... In the event someone dear to me is killed and in that event if I feel the perpetrator should be executed... I hope SOCIETY will intervene and not kill but imprison for life! That is my wish....

In any case, today I write as a followup to an opinion piece in The New York times (click here) and there you will find usual reasons asserted against capital punishment. Below are some additional thoughts and emotions.

I wonder what moves/guides us when making important decisions or coming to important opinions? When will we celebrate happily after our decisions and actions?  What opinions bring us joy?

I celebrate births. I do not celebrate deaths. I will sing and dance and pray for goodness when a child comes into our world but when someone dies I mourn the loss of a force of life from our world. Joy is part of life and living and death does not add to my joy.

I am moved and guided by facts, experience, ideas, prayer, literature, poetry, music.... Generally, stuff from others. This stuff needs to be considered and my be objective and certainly subject to analysis which could be uncomfortable. Passions, opinions, other personal subjective thoughts move me, too,  and they are often not subjected to objective analysis as they are assumed as they came from my family and culture so they feel warmly comfortable and familiar and may be assumed to be right, based on their source.

Thus we have various ways to understand issues and at some point we decide on some side. I wonder when do we consider changing decisions made once upon a time when those decisions no longer are best? How do we even know they are not the best?

What do we do when facing choices where there is a conflict of truths based on facts versus truths based on feelings? When facts and feelings are in harmony - no problem. When does that happen? I am not talking about "alternative facts" but the disconnect from what we seem to deeply feel and know versus what we don't easily know or feel but which may be a difficult and better truth!

Often the subjective and objective are in conflict and the degree of the disconnect is sadly significant in many areas of life and death. The exception is at the time of death when a person is either still alive or is stone cold dead. No disconnect and no possibility of a correction barring the miracle of resurrection. 

I believe miracles have happened, happen, and will happen. Some miracles are rare such as resurrection and some, such as childbirth, though scientifically true, are seen and felt every day. In fact childbirth is a prime example of the smallest of disconnects between feelings and facts. Subjectively we are amazed and scientifically we understand. Truly wonderful.

For me it is best when my beliefs and science are in harmony. When such harmony is not present I then must choose and when the choice is between life and death I am taught and I believe it is the choice of Life that must be made. The Bible teaches: 

" Deuteronomy 30:19

.......I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him......"

I rather bless and be blessed then curse or be cursed. 

When blessed by miracles or facts I celebrate. Childbirth is a time for celebration. What, however, does a celebration of death look like? I really don't know how to happily celebrate the death of anyone - a good person or an evil person. Clearly there has been some curse... a killing! When there is a death - premeditated or accidental - where is the blessing to celebrate? Maybe in some cultures people eat, drink, and are merry as part of their death rituals but I think (hope?) the celebration is about life and the living and not death. Generally death is a matter of griefs and wonderings about what could have, should have... been AND about how important is life and living it fully. 

I guess there are people and times where there is an apparent celebration over the execution of a killer of a loved one. I wonder how the people really feel?  I clearly do not want to suffer the loss that motivates such a celebration and I love celebrations and wish I could join in all the wonderful celebrations of people everywhere but death of a PROBABLE killer is not something I can or should ever celebrate. What if after the celebration it is determined the "killer" was innocent? There are no take-backs when someone is dead.