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By the time this newpaper is distributed, the state of Ohio will
have executed another man, John W. Byrd, Jr. By most accounts Mr. Byrd
was not, and is not a saint, and was at least a petty criminal when he
was arrested for the murder of a convenience store clerk almost two
decades
ago. But does having low moral character and/or a criminal record mean
that the state has the right to take your life away? Many Christians
are now saying no.
The time has come for the state of Ohio to join the rest of the
industrialized, civilized world and ban capital punishment. Germany,
France, England, Japan, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Canada, Mexico, and even
some former Soviet states are just a few of the countries that have made
capital punishment illegal; what is so unsettling about following these
countries into the 21st century?
Our Christian faith teaches us that man`s will should be
subordinate to God`s will. Is it not the height of arrogance for us to
place the state on a plane equal with God? This is not war, this is
not the United States protecting itself from Al-Qaeda terrorists, this
is the state coldly killing an individual who has been safely behind
jail bars for many years. The state of Ohio does not have the moral
authority to kill a human being who is under 24-hour control and
monitoring.
One man, whose residence lies just up the street from this
university, has the power to stop the execution of John Byrd, Jr. And
that man, Governor Bob Taft, has ignored the pleas of local rabbis,
ministers, and priests to spare the life of the prisoner. Bob Taft has
ignored the pleas of John Byrd`s family, the famous historian Arthur
Schlesinger, Jr., and even Bianca Jagger.
This isn`t about whether the man is guilty of the crime of murder,
even though there is substantial evidence that Mr. Byrd was convicted
solely by the testimony of a known professional liar, Ronald
Armstead. This debate is about whether the state of Ohio has become
tyrannical and arrogant in the exercise of power, and many individuals
have now indicated that they believe this state has overstepped the
limits of of its authority.
Bob Taft won`t listen to pleas for clemency, but he does care about
getting re-elected. Governor Taft`s opponent in the 2002 election will
be Democrat Tim Hagan, and Mr. Hagan has indicated that if he becomes
Ohio`s governor next he will never sign a death warrant. I plan to
honor
the memory and the dignity of John W. Byrd`s life by voting for Tim
Hagan in November.
Sincerely,
Jack S. Byrom
Environmental Science major,
Capital University
