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July 6, 2000

As we grapple philosophically, theologically, legally, and politically with the issue of the death penalty, I suggest we use integrity as the reference point to Žnd some guiding light. Integrity exacts fairness and accountability, so it should serve us well as we search our soul. Once a capital crime of murder has been committed and a life or lives have been taken, what is a fair punishment? Immediately, integrity is challenged. On some level, murder is so irreversible and so unfair, how can fairness even be applied to the dilemma of punishing the criminal? I don't think it can. Taking another's life is so wrong and so unfair, there is no fair response. And yet, there are circumstances surrounding a murder that set in motion the question of fairness in considering the possibility of a death sentence, the viciousness of the murder, the age of the victim and the murderer, the notoriety of the case, the importance of the victim, the race, gender and social class of both. Fairness is affected by each and every one of these considerations. The question becomes, who deserves the death penalty and under what circumstances.

It would seem as though integrity would be a reference point for the fairness of the death penalty. But, is it really? The fundamental question is whether putting someone to death as the punishment for killing another has integrity. We already know there's no integrity in the way the circumstances of a crime are evaluated. Statistics document the unfairness of the sentencing and execution of the death penalty. No one with any integrity can claim that we have a system that fairly sentences murderers to death and fairly carries out their execution.

So, where is the integrity of the death penalty? Nowhere. If we are going to execute someone who is accused of murder, let's just admit that we are caught joining them in the lack of integrity of their actions by murdering them in return. It may give us a feeling of justice, of revenge, of stopping others who might murder, but let's not pretend it has integrity. We must come to terms with the horrible, irreversible, nature of murder. Integrity and fairness have been forever shattered by the brutal crime of killing another, and they can never be restored by any punishment, even death. If we think killing the killer is fair, then we have no integrity ourselves, and on top of that, we may not be killing the killer, and we still want the execution to take place. It has nothing to do with fairness. Let's at least have the integrity to acknowledge that.

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