The Execution of Harris
A friend of mine who was a parish priest in East Los Angeles tells of the ritual that would take place at the funeral of a gang member who had been killed. After the funeral the gang would stand next to the casket and promise to kill someone from the gang that had killed him. And the cycle of violence continues. With the killing of Harris, the State of California is proclaiming the same thing as that gang: Killing someone is an appropriate response to someone being killed. And the cycle of violence continues.
FATHER GEORGE HORAN
St. Anselm Church, Los Angeles
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