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Another Execution -- 'The Chimes, Capital University'
by Jack S. Byrom
April 22, 2002

Editor:

By the time this newpaper is distributed, the state of Ohio will have executed another man, John W. Byrd, Jr. By most accounts Mr. Byrd was not, and is not a saint, and was at least a petty criminal when he was arrested for the murder of a convenience store clerk almost two decades ago. But does having low moral character and/or a criminal record mean that the state has the right to take your life away? Many Christians are now saying no.

The time has come for the state of Ohio to join the rest of the industrialized, civilized world and ban capital punishment. Germany, France, England, Japan, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Canada, Mexico, and even some former Soviet states are just a few of the countries that have made capital punishment illegal; what is so unsettling about following these countries into the 21st century?

Our Christian faith teaches us that man`s will should be subordinate to God`s will. Is it not the height of arrogance for us to place the state on a plane equal with God? This is not war, this is not the United States protecting itself from Al-Qaeda terrorists, this is the state coldly killing an individual who has been safely behind jail bars for many years. The state of Ohio does not have the moral authority to kill a human being who is under 24-hour control and monitoring.

One man, whose residence lies just up the street from this university, has the power to stop the execution of John Byrd, Jr. And that man, Governor Bob Taft, has ignored the pleas of local rabbis, ministers, and priests to spare the life of the prisoner. Bob Taft has ignored the pleas of John Byrd`s family, the famous historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and even Bianca Jagger.

This isn`t about whether the man is guilty of the crime of murder, even though there is substantial evidence that Mr. Byrd was convicted solely by the testimony of a known professional liar, Ronald Armstead. This debate is about whether the state of Ohio has become tyrannical and arrogant in the exercise of power, and many individuals have now indicated that they believe this state has overstepped the limits of of its authority.

Bob Taft won`t listen to pleas for clemency, but he does care about getting re-elected. Governor Taft`s opponent in the 2002 election will be Democrat Tim Hagan, and Mr. Hagan has indicated that if he becomes Ohio`s governor next he will never sign a death warrant. I plan to honor the memory and the dignity of John W. Byrd`s life by voting for Tim Hagan in November.

Sincerely,
Jack S. Byrom
Environmental Science major,
Capital University

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