Relatives of murder victims argued to Kansas legislators yesterday that the state’s death penalty should be retained as justice for them, reports the Wichita Eagle. "You cannot put a price tag on my sister’s life,” Jennifer Sanderholm told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “That is ultimately what you will do if you abolish the death penalty.” Justin Thurber raped, sodomized, and murdered 19-year-old Jodi Sanderholm in 2007 and was sentenced to die by lethal injection last year.
Supporters of the death penalty said it is used sparingly — only for the most egregious crimes —and shouldn’t be weighed in terms of cost. “By repealing the death penalty in Kansas, you will be placing the lives of others in jeopardy,” said Lois Muller, whose daughter ws murdered in 2000. Lawmakers are considering two bills to repeal the death penalty in future cases; there are 10 people on death row in Kansas.
Posted by Rachael
Friday, January 22, 2010 05:28
As the family member myself of a murder victim I absolutely understand the pain and gried families such as the Sanderholms endure. However, I cannot agree with their point of view on the death penalty for numerous reasons. Firstly, the death penalty will not “save” lives by preventing a person intent on murder from killing. It is irrational to believe a murderer sits and weighs the possible punishments they will face before deciding whether to kill. If it were true that they did then the murder rate in Texas would be minimal – clearly it isn’t.
Also murderers, whether we like it or not, do have mothers, fathers, and children who did not commit any crime. To make a child endure the grief of the premeditated loss of their father/mother at the hands of the state is not “justice”. It is revenge – and not revenge directed at the killer. It is revenge directed at the killer’s family, against their children. And that to me is equally as twisted as the actions of the murderer. To cold bloodedly inflict grief on innocent children is abhorrent to me. It certainly won’t bring my murdered love one back and will leave me instead to deal with the knowlege that those children are being punished in the name of “justice” for me and my family. Not in my name. NOT EVER.