The death penalty in the United States has never been anything but an abomination — a grotesque, uncivilized, overwhelmingly racist affront to the very idea of justice.
One of the reasons I read Mr. Herbert is because he is so provocative. Some of the things he says makes you say, "Amen!" and some other things makes you say, "Ah...damn!" I think in this editorial there is both of that. I am one such American who struggles mightily with the death penalty. In a Romans 13 sense I am for it. But it is well known that the way the death penalty is carried out here has its plethora of problems, and we do not need Bob Herbert to point them out for it to be so. With the way it is used, it probably should be abolished. It is an overwhelmingly racist affront to the very idea of justice, to quote Mr. Herbert.
Although I am someone who affirms that no one is "innocent" based upon sin and death in general, certainly in civil society it is for the purposes of good order to establish a system of punishment that is layered and has different levels of severity to it. But the real problem with the death penalty, especially in its racist element(s) is that it de-humanizes people. This is not so much a question of innocence and guilt, as much as that may be the case, as it is about the value of life in a culture of death. To devalue humans is a most egregious offense. And if there is even just a few humans being devalued, let alone the probable millions Herbert talks about, then it should not be tolerated. Not because humans are innocent and sinless and everything is fine and dandy, but because God is the One who rules over life and he creates human life with a purpose, even if a dignity.
Well then, seems like this is an "Amen!" post from Herbert, where is the "Ah...Damn!" part? It comes with what Herbert does not address. There is another overwhelmingly racist affront to the very idea of justice operating in our country as well. The thing about that one though is its masked in "rights" and not as death or killing or even murder, as capital punishment can safely be labeled. No, this overwhelmingly racist affront to the very idea of justice is seen as choice, as empowerment, and the only sensible option in the face of so many who devalue women.
Indeed, I am talking about abortion. Yet this story doesn't get editorials in the NY Times or much play from Bob Herbert. This is seen as an entirely different thing, and it's for the supposed "rights" of women. If the death penalty is racist, and there is sufficient reason to believe it is, then abortion is akin to slavery and genocide. But before you get too bent out of shape, go research the issue for yourself. I speak not as a "white man" making an ignorant or inconsiderate comparison between abortion and slavery and/or genocide, but African Americans and other minorities talk this way. There is plenty of evidence to suggest Planned Parenthood targets African Americans and other minorities in our country. The statistics are horrifying. And this is an educational problem as well. When we neglect our inner cities, and the folks who live there, government OK'd organizations like Planned Parenthood move in for the literal kill. Instead of comprehensive educational and community programs from the government, or anywhere for that matter, we get a killing machine masquerading as a "pro-women's choice" group.
Strong language? Provocative? You bet. So I agree with Herbert, but want it to go further, let's stop both of these racist affronts to the very idea of justice.
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