Onion Field Killer Ruling

Rose Elizabeth Bird has one day left in office as I write this. I am grateful to her for her intelligent compassion and her ardor to protect the rights of individuals who often have no protectors. For those people in this state and in this country who wish to see capital punishment enacted I would like to suggest that these people (and I mean every last one of them) have their names engraved on the markers of the executed. That seems only fair.

I am against capital punishment and I want my name on whatever markers exist for the preservation of humane methods of treating persons who have fallen into erroneous modes of behavior. If I were indeed in favor of capital punishment I would certainly think it should apply to the murderers who are rampaging around Central America in the name of “Freedom Fighters.” But these people also are merely criminals. Our very worst kind, true. They must be rehabilitated. This is a matter of serious education.

And what, ladies and gentlemen, is the attitude of our ruling caste toward education? That is the question of the century. Rose Bird followed her lights. And they cast no shadows on any of us. That’s saying a rather large mouthful.

ROBERT L. GREENFIELD

Isla Vista