It’s 8:41 pm on the 13th of January 2021 and as far as I currently know, Lisa Montgomery has been executed. Making her the first woman executed by the US federal government since 1953. Her execution has brought to the forefront the fact that I genuinely do not have an answer to the question in regards to execution. There have been a lot of high-profile executions recently and I am stuck between two very valid opinions.
Let me reverse and tell you Lisa’s crime that got her there in the first place. On December 16, 2004, Lisa entered Stinnett’s home strangled the 23-year-old, and then proceeded to carve out the premature baby from her womb with a kitchen knife. At one point Stinnett is said to have woken up during this period and attempted to fight back, only to be strangled to death. I am sure you are thinking “ But Ireoluwatomiwa this is a very despicable thing, how could you be struggling. It’s an easy excuse for execution”. The thing is Lisa was very mentally ill and also suffered sexual abuse, she was sexually assaulted by her stepfather and being pimped by her mother. So it does seem she didn’t make those decisions with a sane perspective.
LISA MONTGOMERY
On one hand, I totally understand the reason the death penalty exists and is used. A lot of people on death row committed despicable crimes. They do deserve it a lot of times, an eye for an eye kinda thing. Why does this person get to live after doing this terrible thing? On the other hand, you could make mistakes when it comes to the death penalty.
There have been cases where there have been mistakes and death is too final to take things back. Also, I do value life (this is probably because I am a Christian), I do believe in the sanctity of life. I know this may seem self-righteous or insensitive but capital punishment doesn’t restore things to the way they were before the despicable crime occurred. The loved one doesn’t get to come back to life. We as human beings that have sent people to the moon should maybe have evolved from the death penalty.
Truthfully I usually don’t have clear thoughts to input when this discussion comes up, I get what both sides are saying. Both sides are making sense, I am conflicted.
Somto Orah
January 25, 2021 at 8:09 pm
To be honest with you, sometimes, we should know that to let people know the value of human life, life has to be taken. In this world, some people are not supposed to be allowed to walk on earth, and removing the death penalty can make them live longer, and remember, evil corrupts, and they will corrupt everyone around them into letting them go with their heinous crimes in the name presidential pardon, just like Donald Trump pardoned rapists in the name of releasing black prisoners when there are actual people with long sentences for defending themselves against their rapist & pimps.
If you check well, the ADX prison is housing most of the worst criminals and terrorists that should have been killed, and some of them are getting out somehow, because of the shitty justice system of America. These people deserve to die, but they’re getting out. Some are dying there, some are getting out, some are later sentenced to death, though.
When you eliminate these people after they lived their life thinking they won’t die, others who are aspiring to be like them get cautioned. You don’t know them, so the death penalty calms that murderous instinct. lol
Nothing is, and can be perfect.
ire
January 25, 2021 at 8:35 pm
You do make valid points. I guess maybe the conflicted feelings is me holding on to a possibility that they can be redeemed.
Bode Writes
January 25, 2021 at 8:29 pm
Quick one, do you honestly thing the being “Mentally ill” should be a reason to temper justice with the eyes of mercy? So looking at the her story and how you wrote it, “she suffered from Sexual Abuse” and decided to be vile, cruel and murder someone in cold blood. I think the justice she got was fair sha, irrespective of her mental state (which I know is unstable), he denied someone the right to live and right to life. I am not seeing it from the other end though as the only end here is getting the deserved sentence. I can’t imagine me being the husband and finding out that happened to my wife. If the government gave her a lighter sentence, I will probably go overboard and get her killed.
I am not in support of death sentence though, but in some cases I can always find a way to Shift base. Ignorance of the Law is not an excuse to gruesomly murder anyone. That’s why I look at people when they try to twist the rational of actions that requires a very resounding reaction. Me I have left the religion part of me sha. That’s why I find it hard and sad to see Boko Haram being integrated back into the society.
Another thing, I won’t even attach any emotional torch to the sentence cos the way it all happened is begging for conviction and a end to that saga.
ire
January 25, 2021 at 8:36 pm
Your points are very valid. I guess in my mind this matter isn’t just black and white. It feels very gray.
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