I am sure that some of you are tired of hearing about Troy Davis.  What a shame that most of us only heard about Troy Davis and his unfortunate case too late.  Sad that some of you are asking–“Who is Troy Davis?” You can read more about his case here.  I know the link is to wikipedia and it’s isn’t always the best source–but this one seems pretty straight forward.

Do I know if Troy Davis was innocent?  No.  Do I know he was guilty?  No.

But I can say that not being able to answer that second question should be enough to stop a man from being murdered.  And that is what the death penalty is–MURDER.  Am I saying that criminals/murders who are so heinous don’t deserve to die?  No, not necessarily.  But I also don’t think that the government should be in the business of murder.  But again, is life in prison any better?  No and our system is barbaric and punitive when it should be rehabilitative–but that is a totally different topic.

I think what angers me the most is the hypocrisy of the both sides in this fight.  The right and the left are flipped on this and then on other sides on the topic of abortion.  I know that that word just touched a nerve in the few of you who read this.  I support a woman’s right to choose.  But just because I support their right to choose doesn’t mean that I agree with it.  Are there exceptions to everything yes–even to capital punishment.  But you can’t preach pro-life and then relish at the taking of a life.  If people espouse that every life is valuable and should be born–then every life is valuable and Troy Davis should still be alive.

I don’t know the difference and how at one point all life is valuable and at another it isn’t.  This idea of an eye-for-an-eye justice isn’t appropriate.  As I try to teach my children that we turn the other cheek–that when someone wrongs you, you walk away-you don’t wrong back.  There will be exceptions to this rule, but how can I teach him that retaliation is not acceptable when our government retaliates.   This, government sanctioned murder, is harder to explain than the individual who commits the original crime.  I can explain that as a person making a bad decision.  But when the government does it–how do I explain that?  How do I explain the people who call for and relish in the murder of someone?  I do I explain that only some life is valuable.

I know this is philosophical and an issue that divides us all.  But the death penalty is murder.  And if the state is going to continue to do it–it needs to do a better job of carrying out justice and justice cannot be carried out if we aren’t certain of someone’s guilt.

How many other murders are in prison for life because they took someone else’s live.  Troy Davis allegedly killed a police man.  Is that police man’s life that much more valuable that we can rationalize killing his alleged murder (without any real evidence).  How many men are in prison for life having killed more than one man?  For justice to be served–it must be carried out fairly.  And there appears to be nothing fair in the murder of Troy Davis.

This needs to move us to do better as a nation.  To do better as a justice system.  To do better.  Sadly, I fear Troy will be forgotten next week as there will be something new–FB’s redesign, that will cloud the airwaves and the status quo will resume.  It makes me sad.