Opinion | What Part of ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ Don’t We Understand?

I understand the fury of a family member who has lost a loved one to senseless violence. What I cannot understand are the people of faith who support executions as a “moral” position. The Catholic Church takes an unequivocal stand against capital punishment, but more than half of all American Catholics support the death penalty anyway. I suspect the numbers are far higher here in the South, where self-described “pro-life” voters have no problem electing politicians who support unfettered access to guns and the barbaric notion of “justice” that underlies the death penalty.

It’s important to note that not all conservatives support capital punishment. “I believe that the core tenet of conservatism is small, limited government,” Amy Lawrence, state coordinator of Tennessee Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, told the Memphis Flyer last week. “Simply put, the death penalty is anything but small, limited government. It is a prime example of a bloated, broken government program. It is costly, it risks executing an innocent person, and it leaves the ultimate power over life and death in the hands of a fallible system.”

I had hope for Tennessee’s new governor, Bill Lee, on this particular question. Governor Lee has served as a board member and mentor for Men of Valor, a prison ministry designed to help inmates “become the men, husbands, fathers, and members of society that God created them to be.” During his campaign last year, he frequently mentioned the need for criminal-justice reform and cited his involvement with Men of Valor. As governor, however, he has not responded to invitations to pray with prisoners on death row, and he refused to grant clemency to the two inmates executed this year.

So it’s still Republican politics as usual here in Tennessee, and Stephen Michael West died in the electric chair on Thursday night. Asked if he had any final words, Mr. West said he did. “In the beginning, God created man,” he began before breaking into sobs. Then: “And Jesus wept. That’s all.”

Margaret Renkl is a contributing opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. She is the author of the book “Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss.”

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