October 2006

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From Monday's sunshine we come to Tuesday's cold and rain and darkness.

Suitable backdrop for my paying attention to a regional politician's ad. I had to listen to the thing twice to be sure I had actually heard the spewage correctly.

This man, wanting to represent his fellow citizens in the U.S. House of Representatives, includes in his ad a shot of what really doesn't look at all like the twin towers, but is hinted to be. The comment, in the candidate's voice, states that the candidate's opponent wants to put terrorists on trial, while he wants to put them in cemeteries.

Nice.

And the sad thing is there are many others who believe with all their hearts that the death penalty is the best way to deal with anyone convicted of murder.

But not all of us believe that.

About twenty years ago there was a murder here in Orange County, of a young girl. When it came time to have the sentencing hearing for the convicted man, the hearing that would determine whether or not the man would be killed himself, the child's father spoke as a witness.

He spoke against the death penalty. And the jury listened to his compassionate, impassioned plea and took it to heart. The convicted man was sentenced to life in prison, where to my knowledge he is today.

That father's act spoke more loudly about the fruitlessness of revenge than anything else I know.

I wish the politician had heard the father's message and taken it to heart.