Death Penalty Injustices | Sojourners

Death Penalty Injustices

I applaud the commentary “When Governments Kill” (by Richard Viguerie, July 2009), as an American who used to support the death penalty. I did so until I heard the case of Tommy Zeigler, a Florida Christian on death row for the past 33 years for a crime he did not commit.

How can American Christians sleep when such appalling miscarriages of justice occur to our fellow citizens? Tommy’s case is, sadly, not unique. How is it that the majority of executions occur in the Bible Belt states? What does this say of our fellow Christians’ compassion, to say nothing of their knowledge of Christ’s words: “It was said ‘An eye for an eye ....’ But I say to you ....”

We forget that we join China, Pakistan, and Iran as the countries with the highest numbers of executions of their own citizens. May God help us!

Vicki Harley Holland, Bowdon, Cheshire, England

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Sojourners Magazine September/October 2009
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