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Tag: mercy

Because?

Because?

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Jorge Garcia was brought into the United States at the age of ten by an undocumented relative thirty years ago. He is married with two children, holds a job, pays taxes, and has committed no criminal offense.

Yesterday, he was deported to Mexico. Because? What possible national interest is served by this deportation? Just following the letter of the law for the sake of following the letter of the law?

“How terrible for you! You hypocrites! You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy …” (Jesus)

one more state gives up the death penalty

one more state gives up the death penalty

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Yesterday, Connecticut became the seventeenth state to vote to outlaw the death penalty. May the thirty-three remaining states with death penalty provisions still enacted in state law be soon to follow!

Capital punishment can certainly be a hot button political issue, but it is difficult to imagine how a group of legislators voting to abolish the death penalty would do so to score political points.  Such a vote seems to me to be purely a matter of conscience …

  • feeling that the risks of a miscarriage of justice are too high;
  • feeling that the punishment is too often unevenly applied;
  • feeling that empowering the state to take life is putting too much power in the hands of fallible people;
  • feeling that the virtues of mercy far outweigh the questionable satisfactions of vengeance.

Just as mercy in a single human being is a sign of strength and character and spiritual maturity, just so is mercy in a human society a mark of strength and character and spiritual maturity.

Death Penalty Repeal Goes to Connecticut Governor

For Connecticut Nun, Death Penalty Debate Is Personal