A sniper's end is nigh

For several weeks shortly after I left the military in October of 2002, a sniper had terrorized Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Lee Boyd Malvo killed at least 10 people in our area under the tutilage of John Allen Muhammed. For his part in the crimes, he was given the death penalty. The shooter was too young to face the death penalty, so he received life imprisonment.

Come seven long years later, the end is near. Lawyers for Muhammed are trying to plea for clemency for the execution. Normally I am against the death penalty. If there is ever a case of mis-identification we could kill the wrong person. For this case, there was no ambiguity. But, I would have to say I am still against his execution.

Why, do you ask? I think execution is the easy way out. He was party to the murder of at least 10 people we know of. And what is his sentence? Seven years in jail and that is it. If he is atheist, then his life ends and that is it, no more suffering for his crime. If he is Christian, then if he accepts God and Jesus into his heart and asks them for forgiveness, he gets rewarded with lifetime in Heaven. So lifetime of happiness after only seven years of suffering for killing 10 people.

If someone commits an atrocious crime, I would want them to suffer for as long as they live. But with executions, we are rewarding those who commit the most heinous of crimes.