Mary German

2000 Just Another Year To Area Seniors

Wednesday, January 05, 2000 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 8A 





They say ``a picture is worth a thousand words.'' During the Vietnam War, a
photograph was taken of a soldier holding a gun to the head of a prisoner with
his hands tied behind his back and shooting him. The picture made
international news. That picture caused many to pause and reflect. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last year before Easter, President Clinton said, ``It is wrong to kill a
defenseless human being,'' and was willing to commit our troops to defend this
belief in Kosovo. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our nation is a leader in most areas of human rights, with the exception
of capital punishment. The United Nations and most of the world is now
pointing a finger at the United States saying we do not practice what we
preach. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Was it necessary to kill Karla Fay Tucker? Was she not a changed,
rehabilitated, defenseless human being? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some people quote the Bible and say, ``An eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth.'' The jubilee of our Lord's birth calls us ``to bring glad tidings to
the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and
release to prisoners'' (Luke 4:18). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I believe we must protect our society and incarcerate criminals, but do we
have to kill in the name of justice? Karla Fay Tucker was making a difference
where she lived. Her incarceration story was one of conversion where she was
helping to make a better world in prison for herself and others. Prison was
her home and her workplace. Here she recognized her mistake, repented and
developed an ethic of charity and service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The new millennium is a call to jubilee justice. It is a clear call to give
people an opportunity to start anew. The jubilee year is an invitation for
people of all nations to view themselves with the eyes of God their creator.
God declared that all created ``was good.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All that we are and all that we do must reflect this goodness inherent in
all of humanity. With that spirit of goodness we must believe we can work
together for justice, mercy, love and peace. We must believe that we as a
nation can change our minds and our hearts. Let us stop the violence and
eradicate the death penalty. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Simon Borys &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hunlock Creek &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Year To Temper Justice With Mercy And Abolish Death Penalty Is Upon Us