Deserved and desirable death

In my previous post I expressed my support for Governor Ron DeSantis’ deserved death policies. Today I continue with why I support them.

Crucial to accepting this view, I think, is believing that death is actually not final . . . that life continues beyond the grave. A sentence of death for a convicted murderer may be what motivates him to turn to God in repentance and faith, thereby securing a blissful eternity with God rather than apart from him in misery. 

Those hapless offenders God struck dead for seemingly minor misdeeds likely found themselves in heaven as well. But dropping dead in such dramatic fashion clearly conveyed his disapproval, putting the literal “fear of God” into all the witnesses as well as those who would hear of it. They needed to understand the importance of obedience.

The threat of death by capital punishment, if the sentence were carried out swiftly, would also be a deterrent to those considering committing capital crimes. But surely a more effective deterrent is the threat of immediate death at the hands of a strong, committed, well-trained and well-funded police force. A force that is hamstrung by lack of support and fear of reprisals just for doing their job doesn’t deter anyone.

So back to Governor DeSantis’ proposal to use deadly force at the southern border. We’ve got a fentanyl crisis here, largely as a result of a weak, soft, and ineffective border policy. Is he not correct when he said, “If you drop a couple of these cartel operatives, they’ll stop coming”? Is it not morally just to follow through on the threat to kill the wicked in order to protect the innocent? If the drug-runners know they could be shot trying to break through the wall, and they attempt it anyway, their blood is on their own heads.

Those who oppose the use of deadly force have a misguided view of justice and morality. There is no virtue in weakness and misplaced mercy. Virtue is exemplified in meeting wickedness with righteousness and strength. Those who end up dead as a result of such an encounter are responsible for their own fate, for they knew what they were doing was wrong and that they were risking their lives in the doing of it.

An untimely death as a consequence of an ungodly deed reinforces a society’s disapproval of such deeds and deters them. Condemning police officers, coddling criminals, and failing to defend our borders or prosecute crimes encourages them.