LEFT BEHIND

I know most people don't have mercy and compassion for those few who are escorted into America's death chambers and exterminated by our government officials, some of who have used this platform, and these dead bodies to rise through the political rank.

We can't say it's not done because on many occasions the death penalty has been turned into a political tool for politicians. We've seen it done time and time again.

The thing is, even if we have no sympathy for the individual we're murdering under the mantle of justice. We must realize we are victimizing that individual's family who've done absolutely nothing wrong. They've committed no crime yet they're being tortured with the upcoming murder of their loved one. The minute that death warrant is signed, the family is going to be placed under an extreme amount of pressure, coming to the realization that their loved one is going to be killed by the state. Those innocent people will have to count down the last days of their mother, their father, their brother, their sister, their husband, their wife, or their child's life.

Knowing that they can do nothing about it.

Not only will they wake up every day counting down the last weeks, days, and hours until their loved one's murder. But after their loved one has moved on to the afterlife, that family will now have to endure years of guilt. The would of, the could of, the should of. The what if's? What if they would have been there for better guidance? What if they would have mortgaged the house and taken out a loan for a high-powered attorney that would have made a difference?

Yes, all of these questions and so many more will lie in the heart and minds of those loved ones who are left behind after one of these state sanctioned murders. If that is not cruel and unusual punishment by our government against its poor and unfortunate citizens, then there is no such thing as cruel and unusual punishment in this 21st century.

One day our ancestors will look back on these acts with great shame, the same shame that we look back on with the history of slavery and the slaughter of the Native Americans. Yes, we have a history of opening our eyes, but too late to stop and correct the wrongs that are currently before us.

Let us open our eyes, our ears, and our mouths. Because if we are not part of the solutions, then we are most certainly part of the problem. May God bless you and open your heart to change.

Shalom v'Ahava
Peace Love

Ronald W. Clark Jr.

Monday
February 27, 2023