Not to take a life
With the recent events of authorities apprehending persons tagged as suspects in molesting children, people are crying out that they should be meted the death penalty. They reasoned out that what they did to the children was very inhumane, robbing the young life of an opportunity to enjoy themselves and the innocence it brings. Anger is evident in every word they say, thinking that killing them would be the best solution as revenge for the crime done.
In some countries, they follow the Code of Hammurabi where the principle is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Almost all of the heinous crimes are tantamount to a head being chopped off. Sometimes the ceremony is done in the public square for everyone to see. There is public shame, condemnation and a life that cannot be brought back again. Others celebrate it, thinking that it has done more good than harm.
The Philippines is looking again into reviving death penalty, especially under the leadership of a fierce president. There is a conviction in the public today that those who have done wrong deserve to pay. Of course, those who are pro-life strongly oppose this. They believe that every human being born and unborn have the right to live on Earth as stipulated in the Bible.
With the looming death penalty, my attention is drawn to the truthfulness of the judiciary and how it can truly prove the guilty. I fear that those who might be innocent might be convicted of a crime that they have never done. It will be a wasted life with many broken-hearted family members, friends and cause-oriented groups that will continue to seek justice.
What is the right price to pay for damaging a person's morale? I cannot tell or objectify it even further. Yet, I guess we must focus on the ethics that we stand upon. As a people, how much do we value life and the person that lives? We declare ourselves as a Christian nation yet we can't follow simple doctrines and commandments from the basic manual from God, the Bible.
Our law is young compared to established nations and we have the tendency to break them easily, like bread so we can feed others. It is quite vague on when the law will have its fangs so its citizens will abide in it wholeheartedly and with fear. I wish to see that day come, but I don't think death penalty is the solution to it.
It is so easy to accuse one and manipulate evidence, let alone pay for a decision to be made. The solution should not be to end one's life but to make him pay for it. The caveat there is to make sure it has been proven many times over. I have faith that there will be proper and equal payment for wrong things done, that with the proper decency.
- Latest
