‘Courageous Action’ of Anaya

This is to thank Gov. Anaya for his commutation of the death sentences of all five men on his state’s Death Row. How agonizing it must be to try to hold onto high political office and high principles at the same time.

Anaya terms execution “inhumane, immoral, anti-God.” I agree, and, during the holiday season, I think it is appropriate to ask what would make ours a more just and humane society, where violence and crime would be decreasing. Rather than deal with such niceties, the public mind seems to care only about executing some men who, according to a possibly fallible jury, have committed heinous crimes. Those are the ones who are unlucky enough to be caught, and, generally, to have chosen a white person as a victim and to be too poor to afford the best legal help. As far as I can read it, the current mood is simply mean vengeance toward criminals--as though it could help the victims, and towards anyone who disagrees with the death penalty. (The name of Rose Bird comes to mind.)

Intense political pressures apparently kept Anaya from commuting the death sentences until the end of his term. I only hope there are other compassionate and principled government leaders who will now feel more emboldened to help our country realize that state-sanctioned murder is part of the problem of violence and crime, and not part of the solution.

MARTIN EWING

Altadena