Capital punishment is on the minds of our parliamentarians as the country falls firmly into the grip of violent, heartless criminals. The death penalty as we call it, can be described as the planned, premeditated execution - by the government - of a person who is legally convicted of a particular crime.

If one were to go by public conver-sations, the country is anxious to see hanging resumed. This, despite the fact that there is an overwhelming body of evidence to suggest that it is not a deterrent to murder. In fact, in the United States, murder rates are higher in states having the death penalty.

Amnesty International describes the death penalty as the ultimate denial of human rights: premeditated, cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state ... it violates the right to life ... cruel ... inhuman and degrading, etc. Cardinal McGarrick, archbishop of Washington, agrees saying it "diminishes all of us, increases disrespect for human life and offers the tragic illusion that we can teach that killing is wrong by killing".

I agree with all of this and think it is laudable when persons choose to devote their energies to protecting the quality of life of their fellowmen. And we cannot blame them for seeing the world as it should be when determining how we should treat each other.

Children afraid to sleep

But that is a kinder, gentler world than the one we find ourselves in, here Jamaica. Here, the simplest misunderstanding marks one for death. Many uneducated, unemployed youngsters with no family or spiritual moorings can be co-opted to spread terror and mayhem without understanding or hearing about the true motives of their bosses. Our children are afraid to go to sleep and we are forced to sleep with our eyes open.

When so many of us are slaughtered innocently - often for our hard-earned possessions - their actions have the exact effect of what Amnesty described earlier. And we cheapen the life of victims - indeed all of us - when we say that society has no right to prevent the murderer from killing more people.

A staunch supporter of Amnesty International myself, it was with much discomfort that I found myself parting company with them on this issue. It should, by this, be obvious to every thinking Jamaican that the Government does not have the resources to keep us safe. The rich put in expensive security systems.

The poor - with their paper doors - have concerned relatives, who escaped to foreign lands, send guns in soap boxes for them. But the police soon take these away since the rich man needs a gun to protect his property, but a poor man with a gun or a knife is a thief and a murderer. So we do not have anyone to protect us and we are not allowed to protect ourselves. We are, therefore, easy prey.

Need answers

The debates are raging in Parliament, but I am still not getting answers to some critical questions. Maybe your readers, who are not as emotional as some of our parliamentarians could answer some of them. For example, is the death penalty intended to remove from society someone who would cause more harm? remove from society someone who is incapable of rehabilitation? deter others from committing murder? punish the criminal? take retribution on behalf of the victim(s)?

My only reservation in this matter stems from the fact that there is no repeal from death and, particularly in jurisdictions - such as ours - where the justice system is weak, we could execute the innocent. I also find that those who find themselves on death row are not necessarily the worst defendants, but defendants with the worst lawyers. So, in the matter of murder, money matters.

Having said that, I find it particularly offensive to ask the citizenry in general, and the victims' families in particular, to foot the bill for free board and lodgings for these persons for the rest of their lives.

I also think that prison is there to remove offenders from society while an attempt is made to rehabilitate them. It is not a place to give a permanent 'kotch' to people who will never be released into society.

I am hoping to hear from your readers on these matters.

I am, etc.,

GLENN TUCKER

Stony Hill

Kingston 9