Soul Searching Saturday 2.0

Today...May 24th in History:
-1218 The 5th Crusade leaves Europe
-1607 100 setters leaves their ships to land in Jamestown
-1626 Peter Minuit buys Manhattan
-1738 John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement
-1844 Samuel Morse sends his first message over telegraph
-1856 John Brown kills 5 pro-slavery settlers in Kansas
-1853 The Brooklyn Bridge officially opens
-1935 The first night game in MLB, when Cincinnati beats Philadelphia 2-1
-1941 The Bismarck sinks the Hood
-1943 Joseph Mengele becomes Chief Medical Office of Auschwitz
-1961 Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, MS
-1962 Scott Carpenter orbits Earth 3 times in the Aurora 7 capsule




In the attempt to better myself and make myself not as big an asshole as I usually am, I have been doing a lot of thinking, examining and soul searching. I have re-examined a lot of what I used to take for granted and beliefs I used to hold and accept without questioning. Part of that has led to the new belief that ALL beliefs should be regularly questioned and rethought, for that is only how we can improve ourselves and grow.

Another thing to come out of all that is my stance on the death penalty. For all my life up until recently I have blindly held to the rightness of the death penalty. I have operated under the assumption that, when you take a life you forfeit your right to your own. That lead to acceptance of the death penalty and it's rightness. However, I can no longer hold to that as I once did.

First off, just the basic fact that I am NOT God and I have no right to decide who lives and who dies. Regardless of the reason for making that decision. I do not condone those who take the lives of others, but just as they don't have that right, neither do I. Just because they choose to make that determination does not give me the right to do it as well. I am not God, I did not create life and I DO NOT have the right to take it... EVER. I also do not have the right to choose people to do that for me, I do not have the right to pass the responsibility on to anyone else either (specifically a judge, jury or the legal system). NONE of us has the right.

Secondly, I also cannot be Pro-Life when it comes to abortion (which I staunchly am, sorry if that offends anyone) and yet also hold to the rightness of the death penalty. I cannot with a clear conscience say I am Pro-Life (for any reason) and yet also hold the belief that taking a life (even a murderer or rapist) is condoned in a different context. I admit the contexts are different, but life is life and again, I DO NOT have the right to take a life, for ANY reason.

I do not speak for anyone other than myself, and while I may disagree with someone on their personal stances of such issues, I also do not condemn them for having them. Most hold those views for their own reasons and I respect that, I just could not continue with that dichotomy in myself. Thanks for letting me ramble and unburden myself. Back to your regularly scheduled Saturday.