Opposition to the death penalty isn't about Christa Pike's humanity. It's about ours. I oppose capital punishment not because of who she is, but because of who we should be.
It's easy to oppose the death penalty when the condemned is sympathetic.
Christa Pike is not.
She is 50 and has been on Tennessee's death row for more than 30 years. Her crime was heinous and awful - facts she readily admits in her properly medicated maturity. Her boyfriend, who participated in the same crime, received life, while she received death - a sentence that is to be carried out in about an hour.
I understand those who want her executed - especially the victim's family, who have waited over 30 years for what they feel is justice.
But the true test of a moral stance isn't when it's easy. It's when it's hardest.
Opposition to the death penalty isn't about Christa Pike's humanity. It's about ours. I oppose capital punishment not because of who she is, but because of who we should be.
The United States remains one of the few nations still carrying out state executions. It is long past time to end it.