‘Courageous Action’ of Anaya

The Times praises the outgoing Gov. Anaya for his “courageous” step taken to commute the death sentences of the five convicted murderers in the state awaiting execution. It quotes Anaya that a “capital punishment is inhumane, immoral, anti-God and incompatible with an enlightened society” and, therefore, his action amounts to a sign of wisdom. The Times says “that he’s opposed to capital punishment because the state shouldn’t be murdering people. It it’s wrong for an individual to commit murder, it’s wrong for the state to commit murder, too.” But before The Times is carried away with glamorization of Anaya’s action let’s look at the issue perspectively and rephrase the Anaya’s statement to read: To kill innocent people is inhumane, immoral, anti-God, and incompatible with an enlightened society.

The state does not murder innocent people as both Anaya and The Times imply. It executes only the convicted murderers.

No, the world does not need more politicians like Toney Anaya; it needs politicians who protect the enlightened society. Any fool in Anaya’s position can commute death sentences of the convicted murderers with a stroke of a pen, but it takes courageous, dedicated, persistent and hard-working politicians to make the world safer for everyone to live in.

P. GAURONSKAS

Santa Monica