Taking large strides in favor of life

Most Republicans support capital punishment; indeed, all of the current candidates for president favor it. In recent years, Democrats, once in the opposite camp, have embraced it, as seen in the campaigns for president by Vice President Al Gore and former Sen. Bill Bradley, and in First Lady Hillary Clinton's drive for a Senate seat from New York State. Opposition to capital punishment, once a badge of honor among liberals, has been discarded.

None of these candidates seems to realize that the march of history is in the opposite direction. Consider:

* Last week, the Republican governor of Illinois announced a moratorium on executions, recognizing that they have been too often applied to innocent people (see page 6);

* White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said last week that President Clinton, a long-time supporter of the death penalty, will consider a request by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) to halt federal executions until the Justice Department can review how capital punishment is administered.

* Catholic bishops in New Jersey, Florida, Washington and New Mexico are urging changes in death penalty laws. This comes in the wake of Pope John Paul II's increasingly strong statements against capital punishment, coupled with heartfelt appeals for the lives of condemned men around the world.

For example, Washington state's bishops have reiterated their opposition to capital punishment, saying: "We must touch the hearts of the large number of Catholics who accept execution as an appropriate response to the violent crimes that confront our society. In calling for the abolition of the death penalty, we first pledge our pastoral support for those who have lost loved ones to murder. We encourage all members of the Church to prayerfully consider the teachings of the Church and the example of Jesus, and join with us in efforts to abolish the death penalty."

As Catholics lead the way on this issue, candidates for office from all political parties, too often swayed by polls and led by fingers-in-the-wind, should reconsider this life-and-death issue. If they did, they would realize they are about to become out-of-step with the world.

(02-10-00)