Either For Or Against Capital Punishment

President Joe Biden recently commuted the sentences of about thirty federal prison inmates on death row. Reducing their sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, he let three death row inmates’ death sentences stand. News reports said Biden is opposed to the death penalty.

I propose that one cannot really be “opposed to the death penalty” and make exceptions—supporting the execution of even one person.

Another example is Israel’s condemnation and execution of Nazi war criminal Eichmann. The State of Israel is opposed to the death penalty, but it made an exception in his case.

When someone makes an “exception” to his or her or their or its opposition to the death penalty, I cannot take his or her or their or its opposition seriously.

You are either opposed to capital punishment or you are not. There is no “in between” ground to stand on.

Now, of course, it is possible to say that you are opposed to most death penalties but believe there are cases where capital punishment is justified. The analogy would be to just war. However, imagine a Peace Church minister or member saying she opposes war and is a pacifist but believes there are just wars in which it is justified for Christians to fight. How does that position differ from just war theory/belief?

I do not take Biden’s stated opposition to capital punishment seriously. I did until he commuted thirty-some federal death row inmates but let three stand.

I could take it more seriously IF he qualified his opposition to the death penalty as some opponents do. For example, toward the end of his life, Chuck Colson altered his stance against the death penalty by allowing it for prisoners who kill fellow inmates. However, as soon as I read that, I stopped believing that Chuck Colson was an opponent of the death penalty/capital punishment.

Opposition to capital punishment is absolute or it does not exist. Exceptions made kill (no pun intended) the opposition. Such a person should say “I oppose capital punishment in most cases.” But how does that really differ from someone saying “I support capital punishment except in many cases?”

Let’s stick to opposing capital punishment. I believe even Eichmann should have been spared the noose and imprisoned for life without any possibility of parole—as was Rudolf Hess. Not because that sentence is more humane than capital punishment but because no matter how hard we try, we are not able to carry out the death penalty with absolute certainty and fairness.

Take the 1953 case of Ethel Rosenberg. Years later her brother admitted to lying about her knowledge of and involvement with the conspiracy to give nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. At the time, however, she was widely considered deserving of execution.

This is a case of either-or. You are either for the death penalty or against it—and making exceptions to the “against it” position kills it. You are then for it.

*Note: If you choose to comment, keep it relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*