Death Sentence Penalty of Lisa Montgomery

Introduction

The ethnographic group for the study comprised people supporting the death sentence penalty. As the sole creator, only God has the right to take a person’s life. No one, regardless of legal qualification, has the mandate to kill another human. The research team involved students because of their accessibility. The study subject includes the execution of Lisa Montgomery in January 2021 (WTIU Documentaries, 2021). In a documentary, Lisa Montgomery’s killing drew two clusters’ attention, those who supported the execution and those who opposed it (Woolstone, 2021). The research subjects argued that Lisa’s 2004 crime was horrific in that it involved strangling a pregnant woman and cutting out an unborn baby. The group maintained that the death sentence was a form of justice for the victim and her relatives and friends.

To understand the opinions further, I based my arguments on Biblical teachings concerning God’s willingness to forgive sin no matter how big it is. One study participant specifically stated that …” in this case, it is not a matter of Biblical judging but on moral decision making. The reason is that if such cases are forgiven or not addressed, they will allow more people to commit similar crimes on the basis that they will be severely punished. Therefore, I strongly believe the court’s decision to kill the woman is an example to other potential criminals out here…”

In another interview, I asked a supporter about what they would feel if Lisa was their sister or mother. The respondent stated that …” in that case, I believe that the court judgement is fair for those who are affected. It is not about the family or friends’ feelings, it is about the outcome of the matter. The fact here… is that this woman has committed a crime. If she was my mother or sister, she would be putting my life in danger as she could also do the same to me because what she did is even unthinkable…” The statements from these people were convincing; however, I still maintained that regardless of what crime a person has committed, no human should have the mandate to approve the killing or execution of any person. In this case, I believe that the court system could have created an intense punishment for criminals rather than killing them. In other words, human execution is a sin in the face of God as it implies that people have bestowed God’s power to their hands.

Compare and Contrast

Based on observations and the interview, it is evident that people believe that human execution is a just court ruling system, which would serve as an example for potential offenders in deterring intense crimes such as a murder. Their convictions are justified and founded as, indeed, human execution can create fear and deter potential convicts from committing various misconducts. I also agree that killing is an important process to enforce moral justice in society. Lisa Montgomery committed a serious crime in 2004, which involved murdering a woman and stealing an unborn baby. The deceased woman must have experienced a painful death and had no chance to see her baby. Therefore, execution is a just procedure for Lisa based on the argument that the victim and her friends and relatives experienced pain and suffering from the manslaughter.

I strongly believe that any crime has an underlying cause. For example, in Lisa Montgomery’s case, a mental illness from a history of rape or a strong desire to have a baby would have motivated her to commit the crime. The reason is that a normal human being with a healthy mind cannot slaughter another person and take an unborn baby from them. This incident explains the purpose of such professions as psychiatry and psychology in court systems to assess criminals’ mental status. In many cases, murder criminals are always pushed by poverty and mental illnesses, including depression. Humans were given a cognitive ability to understand such issues and create possible solutions rather than unfounded decisions. Only a few cases of murders are caused by personal desire or have no cause at all.

Analysis

Although capital punishment is accepted in many parts of the globe, I do not support it because of various reasons. First, human execution may occasionally lead to killing of innocent people. Many people imprisoned are those who cannot afford their freedom. Many serious cases involving politicians or other rich individuals go unpunished because they have money to pay the relevant authorities to have their crime cancelled. Poor people do not have this ability, hence go through full jail term for minor issues. Only a few court systems in the world implement just ruling. In this case, it is possible that an innocent person with minimal crime records to be executed for a forgivable crime as they cannot buy their justice. The support of human killing as a court decision is one way to back possible innocent executions.

Second, people commit serious crimes because of underlying issues, such as mental or financial challenges. However, when such challenges are solved, most of these criminals can change their behaviors to be good people in society. For example, armed robbers may be propelled into violent robbery for monetary gain because of poverty. However, if such fiscal challenges are solved, these people may not commit such crimes again. I am certain that robbers do not like what they do. These criminals would appreciate alternative solutions that are easier and less dangerous to getting money than stealing and killing people, which endangers their lives. Supporting the death penalty can eliminate such people who would have transformed to be useful in communities.

Thirdly, some cults may mislead people that killing or committing suicide could earn them a better afterlife. In this case, such people’s minds might have been manipulated, since they believe that human execution can be a favor for them. Conducting a background search on why a person performed a crime can reveal such issues as cult oats, pushing criminals to dangerous activities beyond their control. Supporting the death penalty can leave such issues undiscovered and unsolved leading to continued crime in societies.

Conclusion

This ethnographic research involved evaluating a group of people who strongly believed that the death penalty is justified. The study is based on a recent execution case of Lisa Montgomery, whose crime included murdering a woman and stealing her unborn baby. In an interview, the group described the court decision as defensible because of the pain that the criminal caused to the victim’s friends and family members. The respondents also based their arguments on the possibility that leaving the crime unpunished could encourage potential criminals to engage in similar cases. Although their arguments are well-grounded, I strongly believe that the global court system can do more than human execution. The reason is that a mentally healthy human cannot murder another person without an underlying cause. Main reasons of possible murder cases include poverty, the need for financial gain, and mental illnesses. Engaging in critical evaluation of why criminals commit serious misconduct can allow court justice systems to understand and solve these underlying issues rather than executing people. Basing on this argument, I strongly believe that the human execution ruling system is unjust.

References

Woolston, B. (2021). US gov’t carries out first execution of female inmate since 1953. Aljazeera. Web.

WTIU Documentaries (2021). A mother’s justice: The trials of Lisa Montgomery. WTIU Documentaires. Web.