The state of Texas has scheduled an execution in less than two weeks for Ray Jasper. He has written a very thought provoking letter in reply to a request from Gawker,com that has gone viral. You should read it, it's very well written. Some people read one way and feel empathy for him and others are outraged and express revulsion. I prefer to see it as an attempt on his part to allow members of his family and perhaps others, who would like to, to allow him some amount of dignity for posterity.
I read another very well written letter from the brother of David Mendoza Alejandro who was the victim. He too opposes the death penalty but testified about how his brother was for it. You should read this one too. My heart goes out to his family and I really feel a deeper understanding of my own thought on this issue after reading this one.
So, you might ask, what's the point Theo ? That's a good question. You have made up your mind on The Death Penalty and I'm not likely to change it. I would just like to ask you a question. Feel free to answer me or not but perhaps you should ask it of yourself.
If any of us think that it's okay to kill anyone for some reason, are we any different than Ray Jasper. His reason to kill was something that we all take issue with and that is certainly a good thing. But how about our reasons. Child killers, abusers of the elderly or the helpless, take your pick of the truly bad people. Do we want to see them die ? (or at least dead) How are we different, except by degrees ?
In the end, in the grand scheme of things - I am Ray Jasper.
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