Texas Murderer Dies by Injection

NEWS----------------------------------------

Napoleon Beazley, whose death sentence for a murder committed at 17 stirred national debate over capital punishment for youths, was executed Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to spare his life. When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Beazley looked toward Suzanne Luttig, the daughter of the victim, and said "no" before he was given a lethal injection --------------------------------------------

I personally feel that the no State or Country or government has no what so ever right to execute a person or despise him his life on this earth. It is very sad to hear that America which whips the world with Human Rights Laws, itself defiles the laws. Where is our respect for life. We believe in abortions and now sems that we are really becoming worst then animals.

After the WTC tragedy the death row is really horrifying. I fully agree with the Catholic Church (Pope) that says death sentence must be abolished. Criminal act must be punished, but not with death.

I was very horrified to see a website which says that even mentally retarded were executed. Visit http://www.geocities.com/savepenry/ for further details.

Let us pray for the soul of Napolean Beazley and countless others who were sentence to death earlier and also for those who are about to be. May our LORD who is rich in mercy touch their hearts and forgive them their wrong doings for which they had to pay by leaving their earthly life. Amen

Peace & Blessings

-- Xavier (xavier_david24@yahoo.com), May 29, 2002

Answers

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-- @ (...@@...), May 29, 2002.

If the pope had his hand on the switch it wouldn't get thrown.
It is the people of the state and their leaders who have the power to show a thumb up or down on the "walking dead". Texans seem particularly fond of killing their own.
Three cheers for the Gov. of, what was it?, Michigan. He called a moratorium on state killing to investigate it's appropriatness.
State killing is outdated and mistakes are made.
But there are those who think it is still OK. Let's pray for them. It is those people who allow it to continue.

-- Chris Coose (ccoose@maine.rr.com), May 29, 2002.

Chris
You have a right to the opinion. Xavier also. My opinion is that a LAW is a law. Change the law to punish me for a capital crime, if you think I must be allowed to live. Make a new law-- so that when I finally die (from old age, or murdered by a fellow-convict), the state of Texas or California will not be my executioner. It seems pointless to me. I will eventually die anyway; and my crimes will be punished in hell. (Unless I've repented; because I WILL repent, I think.) Now-- if just before the Texas executioner gives me that injection, I should think of my immortal soul, I can repent. I go on without losing my soul; to a better world. The Texas executioner will NOT go to hell for giving me the lethal injestion. NO, he won't!

He is doing what the LAW tells him he can do. When Xavier says no one has the ''right'' to take my life, he's wrong. The right is given under the law. It can be taken away from that executioner by changing the law. But I'll die anyway, sooner or later. My victim was dead, before they ever sentenced me-- the one I murdered.

We all go on to a better world, if God forgives our sins. That's what's important.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), May 29, 2002.

Eugene, I'm thoroughly surprised.

"The Texas executioner will NOT go to hell for giving me the lethal injestion. NO, he won't! He is doing what the LAW tells him he can do. When Xavier says no one has the ''right'' to take my life, he's wrong. The right is given under the law. It can be taken away from that executioner by changing the law. But I'll die anyway, sooner or later."

Then that is to say, a woman who just had an abortion wouldn't go to hell (without repenting). Because the "law" said she can do it. Sorry to say Eugene, but I think you missed the mark on this one. Xavier is right: No one has the right to take a life at any level and for any deed. The reason we have the "death penalty" is because we think that no one has the right to take a life (kind of hypocritical, don't you think?). The executioner will go to hell unless he or she repents of this most grave sin (the sin of murder, one of the ten commandments). The Catechism and the Catholic Church teaches us to follow the secular "law" unless that law is in direct (not even direct, but has anything to do with) violation of the "law" of God, which in this case it is! Pure and simple, and equatable to abortion (which is even more abominable because the human being murdered is innocent).

I pray that we Catholics can re-think our notions of the validity of the death penalty. We are called to turn the other cheek, and forgive 70 x 70. The criminal will find his or her justice when they are called to give an account of their lives in front of Christ. This is none of our business. Our business is to protect others from the effects of the perpetrator (which is why jail time is justifiable). Although their stay in jail comes from my pocket, I would gladly give all that I ever earn in order to not be a part of anyone’s death, including the criminals. We should be ministering to those in prison, so that they may change and repent, rather than waiting for them to parish unsaved.

In Christ.

-- Jake Huether (jake.huether@lamrc.com), May 29, 2002.

Jake--
I didn't miss the mark. If a state executioner is carrying out the law, even a death penalty, he is not breaking the commandments of God. If a pilot shoots a guided missile into an armed enemy camp, he is not breaking a commandment. When David the shepherd hurled a stone with his sling at the giant Goliath, he (killed him but) didn't break any commandment. There IS what is known as carrying out the duties imposed on you by your lawful appointment. One of them is dealing out death in a lawful way.

Now, if you mean to say that my conscience is under a strict obligation to disobey the law because of my convictions, you may be warmer. But not quite. You're hoping to appeal to my sense of the sacredness of life, I assume.

And, as I stated before. I am very aware of the right to life, liberty etc., But I am not abashed or frightened at all at the thought of death. No death is suffered in the world ever-- more than once. You can't multiply the number of deaths that HAVE to take place. The only thing possible is to postpone them, some of them.

I am against the taking of INNOCENT life. Absolutely opposed to it, for ANY reason. Not just that; I uphold very much the concept of clemency. I hope every single appeal for clemency is successful, for the prolongation of a convict's life. But if it's denied under the law, I see no injustice in the execution of a ruthless killer or somebody who commits an atrocity.

It is a just law if it's applied justly and impartially. It was always so in the past; society has lived under these conditions since the beginning of civilization. Just because in the recent 100 years or so, a movement to abolish capital punishment has grown around the western world doesn't mean our ancestors were barbarous and modern men are better. Human nature hasn't changed.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), May 29, 2002.

Jake,

Sorry, I agree with Eugene. The executioner is acting not on his own behalf, but as an agent of the state, just like a policeman or a soldier. His job is to kill people when necessary, so I don't think he'll go to hell any more than a WWII vet would! An aborter or murder is killing someone for their personal gain, and IS morally culpable for their actions. This is totally different and sinful. I'm suprised that this isn't a recognized distinction.

I also agree with the death penalty. Why allow someone to continue to commit crimes when their victim is unable to do anything?

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), May 29, 2002.

Though the death penalty may do justice to the criminal, it certainly is unjust to the criminals parents or family members. To take a quote from this website, http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/exploring/studies/LGSG_92319.html, "God sees the beginning from the ending of time, and He also sees all people and the full impact of what we say and do on others—both those we know and who are close to us, and those we don't know. God will never ask us to exhibit harsh or crude behavior; He will never lead us to do anything that might hurt another person—emotionally, spiritually, or materially. God always works for the good of all His people, not just a few."

Therefore, even if the executioner is justified in following the "law" to kill the killer, he is not justified in spiritually and mentally maiming those loved ones of the criminal.

Furthermore to fight for ones country is one thing, to kill is another. I don't believe that killing or war are on the "okay" list in God's book. Shooting a missile is most definitely in violation of the ten commandments, unless it is in self-defense, which is the only excusable reason for murder (as was the case for David)! And you cannot say that the death penalty is "self-defense", because the criminal is detained, and the act itself is premeditated (sometimes years in advance).

If you are against the murdering of innocent lives, but not criminal lives, than would you say that euthanasia is okay if the person has committed a grave sin against you. Again, the judgment and eternal punishment (we do have the right to punishment for admonition - but not for vengeance) is in the hands of God, not man.

You also cannot say that carrying out murder under lawful appointment is justifiable and not a sin. Otherwise it wouldn't be a sin for a doctor to perform an abortion. It is their lawful assignment! This is clearly not so, because it is a grave and mortal sin for even a parent or loved one to condone abortion! Please re-read the Catechism on this point. We cannot and should not follow the secular "laws" if they are in conflict with the laws of our God.

I don't want to start an argument. But I wanted to lay out the Catholic Churches teachings on this issue. If you still refuse to accept this, then I will let it stand as is. God our Father, please enlighten Eugene and I as to what you think is right. Amen.

In Christ.

-- Jake Huether (Jake.huether@lamrc.com), May 29, 2002.