Halted execution distracted us from opposition to the death penalty in Idaho | Opinion

Death penalty

Sadly, the failed execution last week diverted media attention away from the groundswell of opposition to executions in Idaho and instead focused attention on the failure. 7,000 people signed a petition opposing the death penalty and delivered it to Gov. Brad Little. About 40 people protested outside the prison or at the Capitol on Wednesday, with more protesting online. Six churches solemnly tolled their bells. The bishops of the local Catholic and Lutheran churches wrote letters to Governor Little expressing opposition to executions.

Since 1973, at least 197 people who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated, with 20 more people executed where evidence was later found that likely would have exonerated them. A second execution was attempted, and completed successfully, in Texas last Wednesday, even with allegations of false testimony and questions by jurors as to his innocence. This isn’t about Thomas Creech’s guilt or innocence. It’s about proposing an alternative of committing someone to life in prison rather than propagating a culture of killing others who may be innocent.

Glenn McGeoch, Meridian

Creech

Poor Tom Creech – deliberate killer, murderer of five or seven or more innocent people.

Apparently, murdering innocent citizens violently, ending their lives is just OK, fine with our “faith leaders.” Maybe they expect that pardoning Creech will bring the victims back to life, end their families’ suffering, grief. That’s faith?

Why not print full newspaper page-sized pictures of all Creech’s victims, then the pictures of what the police and medical people had to deal with – handle – the violent evil mess Creech consciously made, multiple times. Poor boy.

And what are the long-term taxpayer and government expenses of “handling” and “preserving” a mad killer like Creech?

Occasionally, the legal system commits an error – not what happened here.

Imagine what each of Creech’s victims went through, how they suffered as they were viciously killed by him. Also, give some thought to their families and friends, as well. You might give another thought to the cops, medical personnel and people who had to handle what Creech chose to do to human lives.

Thank you, Brad Little, and everyone who has tried to prevent evil violence against innocent good people.

Frank Juiliano, Boise

Execution

No matter how depraved the individual may be, that does not give you, me, or the state the right to take a life. Yes, I understand that it costs money to keep someone alive for 50 or 60 years. It costs money to fight death penalty judgments. But cost should not be equated to the value of a human life, no matter how evil that human life may have seemed to be. We, as individuals and as a society, should be better than equating a life to dollars in terms of the cost of incarceration. But more importantly, we should always look for the possibility of redemption. Can all people be redeemed in this life? No. But whether a person is redeemed or not is not for us to say. I am not God. Instead, I am a child of God who believes that each and every one of us may be forgiven no matter our sins. I do not want it on me, as a citizen of this state, to deprive someone of the chance to be forgiven.

Kathryn E Baerwald, Meridian

Authoritarianism

Alarmed at many Americans’ willing rush toward authoritarianism, I dusted off William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” for a re-read. Our situations today rang a bell in my memory of Germany’s events of the early 1930s. I am increasingly worried that our country is on the same path as the last days of the Weimar Republic–which did not end well for the fate of the world. It’s not too late to prevent a similar occurrence. We must set aside minor differences and unite against the fascism advocated by Trump and his acolytes. To quote Shirer: “No class, group, or party in Germany could escape its share of responsibility for the abandonment of the democratic Republic and the advent of Hitler. The cardinal error of the Germans who opposed Nazism was their failure to unite against it. At the crest of their popular strength in 1932, the Nazis had attained but 37% of the vote. But the 63% of the German people who expressed their opposition to Hitler were much too divided and shortsighted to combine against a common danger which they must have known would overwhelm them unless they united, however temporarily, to stamp it out.”

John Holbrook, Boise

Caucus

This reader is disappointed that I was unable to vote in the Republican primary in the State of Idaho. Instead of holding a primary election, the State Republican Party decided to hold a one-day caucus to determine the winner of the Idaho primary. This caucus was supported by only 7% of Idaho Republicans. Thus, the other 93% were not represented in the determination of our Presidential primary. I find this unacceptable and disingenuous to the process. I call for the Idaho Legislature to fix this in future elections in order to ensure everyone in Idaho has a voice in who should win the primary.

Matt Sheridan, Boise

Faith healing

The opinion piece written by Bryan Clark on children still dying because of Idaho’s faith healing is absolutely correct. The Idaho legislature is spending time on issues to restrict rights for women, teachers, librarians, and the LGTBQ community, while Idaho kids die from treatable diseases. They die not from their own beliefs, many of them are too young to have formed any beliefs. No, they die because of beliefs of their parents and guardians.

Everyone should have the right to believe whatever they want, but no one should be able to harm another person because of their beliefs. Denying a child healthcare because you do not believe in medicine definitely harms the child. Some die, but many others suffer.

There is a simple solution, change or repeal Idaho’s religious exemption laws. If not full repeal, at least eliminate the exemptions in cases where the child is in imminent danger of permanent disability or death.

The legislature passes anti-abortion laws, to protect the embryo, why not pass laws to protect the kids already born. It is true, kids don’t vote and kids don’t send in political contributions, but like you and me they are all God’s children and deserve to live.

Bruce Wingate, Boise