| CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: IS IT A DETERRANT TO CRIME? |
| RECENT REPORTS FROM THE U.S DEPT. OF JUSTICE AND THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER INDICATE THAT "CRIME", ESPECIALLY VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN NATIONWIDE. LIBERAL PROPONENTS OF "GUN CONTROL" ADVISE THAT THIS IS THE REASON. NUMEROUS ARTICLES ON THE SUBJECT HAVE INDICATED THAT "THERE IS NO EXPLAINABLE REASON" FOR THE VIOLENCE TO BE ON THE WANE. IT CONCLUDES THAT "BABY BOOMERS" ARE NOW GROWN; GUN CONTROL IS EFFECTIVE; AND INCREASED MORAL RESPONSIBILITY IS "PROBABLY" THE KEY......NONE OF THE LIBERAL ARTICLES EVER MENTION THAT THE RECENT IMPOSITION OF THE "DEATH PENALTY" IN HENIOUS CRIMES HAS HAD ANY IMPACT...A RECENT STUDY FROM THREE RESEARCHERS AT EMORY UNIVERSITY INDICATE THAT "CAPITAL PUNISHMENT HAS A STRONG DETERRANT EFFECT". THESE FINDING RUN CONTRARY TO INTERPRETATIONS PRESSED BY KEY JOURNALISTS, LAWYERS, ACADEMICS AND ANTI-DEATH PENALTY ADVOCATES. IN HOUSTON , TEXAS ALONE ( TEXAS BEING ONE STATE WHICH ENFORCES THE DEATH PENALTY) HAS SHOWN A 73% DECREASE IN MURDERS. WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE DEATH PENALTY , IT IS EVIDENT THAT BOTH THE NATIONAL STATISTICS AND SOME RESEARCH SUPPORTS THE DETERRANT EFFECT OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT...CRIMINALS WHO "KNOW" THEY MAY FACE DEATH ARE LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES. SECONDLY, CRIMINALS WHO "KNOW" THAT VICTIMS MAY HAVE A PERSONAL FIREARM ON THEIR PERSON OR AT HOME, THINK TWICE BEFORE ENTERING.........DLH IS CRIME REALLY DOWN?? IT APPEARS THAT VIOLENT CRIMES ARE IF WE BELIEVE THE NATIONAL REPORTING SYSTEM...MY OBSERVATIONS OF NEWS REPORTS ON LOCAL STATIONS INDICATE THAT CRIME IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL...FATHER'S KILLING CHILDREN AND WIVES.....MOTHER'S KILLING THEIR CHILDREN....MEN AND WOMEN GOING ON SHOOTING SPREE'S IN NEIGHBORHOODS, KIDS KILLING OTHER KIDS FOR NEAR TO NO REASON.....IS THIS A SIGN OF A HEALTHY SOCIETY?? OR ONE IN WHICH WE HAVE TRANSMITTED THAT VIOLENCE IS ACCEPTABLE AND A METHOD TO COPE WITH THOSE WHO WE "DON'T LIKE" OR "WHO HAVE OFFENDED US"??? WEAPONS OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBLE USE IS NOT THE PROBLEM...IRESPONSIBLE TEACHING AND INFLUENCE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM......CARING ABOUT THE WELFARE OF YOUR NEIGHBOR; TREATING OTHERS AS "YOU WANT TO BE TREATED" ARE NOT OUTDATED PHILOSOPHIES. BELIEVING THAT "PEACE" IS BETTER THAN "VIOLENCE" AND "RETRIBUTION " BELONGS TO THE "LORD" IS STILL MODERN AND NOT JUST AN "OLD THEORY". LOVE STILL WINS, BUT WE MUST NOT TOLERATE THE "SIN". FAMILY IS STILL IMPORTANT ( ESPECIALLY THE ONES WITH TWO PARENTS). LIFE IS STILL HARD YET WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH CARING AND DEPENDING ON "EACH OTHER". |