This morning, I drove down to the prison holding the offender scheduled for execution next Wednesday, May 20. We met one-on-one in a small room, no handcuffs, no correctional officer standing at our shoulder.
For the past three Mondays, I have repeated the same trip. Today’s was my last. Our total of four hours together have been simply remarkable. If only everyone in the state could be there to see, hear, listen, understand. The death penalty wouldn’t be long for this world.
But that can’t be the case, and I’m afraid the myth of “closure” and our culture of revenge with no thought of nor attempt at forgiveness will prevail. Blind punishment regardless of obvious redemption … adding another death, another family’s loss, another loved one taken away … that is the illogical impact of state-sanctioned killing.
But we’ll keep trying. I wrote to the Governor as another voice for clemency.
In a dim light... 