{"id":761,"date":"2017-01-11T01:48:55","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T01:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=761"},"modified":"2021-10-29T17:43:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-29T17:43:48","slug":"deciding-who-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"Deciding Who Dies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/miscarriage-stillbirth-and-hope\/#death\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/201508ff\/20151030-800px-Pieter_Claesz_002b-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\"><\/a>Death at a Bible study back in 2015, and at Fort Lauderdale airport last week, has been in the news.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s probably not as exciting as what <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/glitterati\">glitterati<\/a> were wearing and saying at the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Golden_Globe_Award\">Golden Globe Awards<\/a>; but I figured now would be a good time to talk about those deaths, and decisions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#fort\">Fort Lauderdale Airport: Death and Luggage<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#death\">Death at a Bible Study<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#good\">A Good Reason to Care and Think<\/a><\/li>\n<li>In the News\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#murder\">Murder at Fort Lauderdale Airport<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#nothing\">&#8220;Nothing Wrong With Me&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#justice\">Justice and the Death Penalty<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#not\">Not Trusting My Feelings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h4><a name=\"fort\"><\/a>Fort Lauderdale Airport: Death and Luggage<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38561886\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/20170109-_93334172_gettyimages-631096680-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\"><\/a>Death happens. I&#8217;m not looking forward to it, or the final performance review that follows, but it is inevitable. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p123a11.htm#1007\">1007<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p123a12.htm#1022\">1022<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Death isn&#8217;t the end, since in another sense I <strong>can&#8217;t<\/strong> die; so being prepared is a good idea.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#1\">1<\/a><\/sup> (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p123a11.htm#1014\">1014<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p123a12.htm#1022\">1022<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p2s2c4a2.htm#1682\">1682<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t think morbid preoccupation with death and life&#8217;s comparative brevity makes sense. But neither does forgetting that death can happen anywhere: even at an airport&#8217;s baggage claim area.<\/p>\n<p>Five folks were killed at <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Fort_Lauderdale_airport_shooting\">Fort Lauderdale airport<\/a> last Friday. Four have been publicly identified so far:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Michael Oehme<\/li>\n<li>Olga Woltering<\/li>\n<li>Shirley Timmons<\/li>\n<li>Terry Andres<\/li>\n<li>Unknown<br \/>\n(<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Fort_Lauderdale_airport_shooting#Victims\">Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A half-dozen more were injured by Esteban Santiago-Ruiz, three of them were sent to intensive care units. Several dozen more got hurt while getting to comparatively safe areas.<\/p>\n<p>The last I heard, some 20,000 pieces of luggage and their owners are still getting sorted out. That&#8217;s non-trivial for folks who were going through airport security at the time, or whose medication is still in their luggage.<\/p>\n<p>Until the mess is cleared up they don&#8217;t have personal identification; shoes; or, in some cases, meds that have been keeping them comparatively healthy.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"death\"><\/a>Death at a Bible Study<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emanuel_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Church\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20150620-The_steeple_of_Emanuel_African_Methodist_Church_Charleston_SC-165.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dylann_Roof\">Dylann Roof<\/a> sat down with a Bible study group on June 17, 2015. About an hour later, he started <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charleston_church_shooting#Shooting\">killing people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Some were later identified by their jobs or what they did in the church \u2014 a speech therapist and track coach, a member of the church choir, a pastor, a state senator.<\/p>\n<p>One of the dead was a grandnephew of the choir member, another a sister of a state senator who apparently wasn&#8217;t at the Bible study:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clementa C. Pinckney<\/li>\n<li>Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd<\/li>\n<li>Daniel Simmons<\/li>\n<li>Depayne Middleton-Doctor<\/li>\n<li>Ethel Lee Lance<\/li>\n<li>Myra Thompson<\/li>\n<li>Sharonda Coleman-Singleton<\/li>\n<li>Susie Jackson<\/li>\n<li>Tywanza Sanders<br \/>\n(<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charleston_church_shooting#Victims\">Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>News media and resources like Wikipedia pay more attention to &#8220;important&#8221; folks like senators, pastors, and coaches. That&#8217;s understandable, since their actions effect us in more obvious ways than what &#8220;ordinary&#8221; folks do.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the jobs held by folks at the Bible study may be more vital to economic and civic affairs in Charleston and South Carolina than most. But that doesn&#8217;t make them more or less important as people.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"good\"><\/a>A Good Reason to Care and Think<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/hate-justice-forgiveness\/#hate\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20150620-Charleston_Shooting_Memorial_Service-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"From Nomader, via Wikimedia Commons, used w\/o permission.\"><\/a><br \/>\n(The memorial service for victims of the Charleston church shooting filled a church to capacity, with more folks gathered outside.<br \/>\n(Picture from Nomader, via Wikimedia Commons))<\/p>\n<p>My family, friends, and acquaintances, get more of my attention than total strangers; and I&#8217;m more aware of folks who get their names in the news than those who don&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<p>But I realize that God doesn&#8217;t have me and my family on a celestial <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A-list\">A-list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Humanity, all of us, male and female, are made &#8220;in the divine image;&#8221; with equal dignity. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_P3.HTM#PENT.GEN.1.27\">Genesis 1:27<\/a>; Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1.htm#1700\">1700<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1934\">1934<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Human life, each human life, is sacred: no matter who we are. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2258\">2258<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>That is a good reason to care about and grieve for the lives ended that day, and at <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Fort_Lauderdale_airport_shooting\">Fort Lauderdale airport<\/a> last Friday.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s also a good reason to think about the people who are on trial for causing those deaths.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h4><a name=\"murder\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">1. <\/span> Murder at Fort Lauderdale Airport<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38561886\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/20170109-_93334172_gettyimages-631096680-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">(From Getty Images, via BBC News; and ABC News; used w\/o permission.)<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38561886\">Florida airport shooting suspect appears in court<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nBBC News (January 9, 2017)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>A 26-year-old Iraq war veteran suspected of opening fire in a crowded Florida airport last week has appeared in court to hear charges against him.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A 26-year-old Iraq war veteran suspected of opening fire in a crowded Florida airport last week has appeared in court to hear charges against him.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Esteban Ruiz Santiago is accused of murdering five people at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;During a 15-minute court appearance on Monday he was told by the judge that he may face the death penalty&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Authorities say they have not ruled out terrorism as a motive, and that they are investigating whether mental illness may have played a role in the attack.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In November 2016, Santiago visited an FBI building in Anchorage to tell agents he was hearing voices and believed that US spies were trying to control his mind&#8230;.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It&#8217;s easy, with 20-20 hindsight, to say that that someone should have done something other than what they did.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the news\/op-ed seems to be focusing on the weapon used, but some folks are talking about whether Esteban Ruiz Santiago should have been forced to get evaluation and treatment.<\/p>\n<p>From what I&#8217;ve read, it sounds like he was under a lot of stress; and may have real psychiatric problems. Since he killed five folks for no good reason, restraining him seems like a good idea.<\/p>\n<p>Forcing him to get evaluated for psychiatric disorders may be a good idea, too.<\/p>\n<p>Or maybe not. I&#8217;m old enough to remember when locking up folks with the &#8220;wrong&#8221; way of looking at things was easier.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#2\">2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Since I&#8217;m one of &#8216;those people&#8217; who aren&#8217;t squarely on the 50th percentile,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#3\">3<\/a><\/sup> I&#8217;m not particularly motivated to institutionalize folks who &#8220;aren&#8217;t normal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"nothing\"><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">2. <\/span> &#8220;Nothing Wrong With Me&#8221;<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38512340\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/20170105-_83727842_victims2-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">(From BBC News, used w\/o permission.)<\/span><br \/>\n(&#8220;Six of the victims, clockwise from top left: Rev Clementa Pinckney, Susie Jackson, Rev Sharonda Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Rev Daniel Simmons, Depayne Middleton-Doctor&#8221;<br \/>\n(BBC News)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38512340\">Charleston church gunman Dylann Roof: Nothing wrong with me<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nBBC News (January 5, 2017)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>The man convicted of killing nine worshippers at a South Carolina church has addressed the jury for the first time to deny he is mentally ill.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8216;There is nothing wrong with me psychologically,&#8217; Dylann Roof, 22, told jurors considering a death penalty.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The white supremacist did not ask to have his life spared, and said he would not present any evidence or witnesses&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Earlier on Wednesday prosecutors read other excerpts from a journal that was discovered in his jail cell six weeks after his arrest.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8216;I am not sorry. I have not shed a tear for the innocent people I killed,&#8217; he wrote at the time, leading prosecutors to argue that a death penalty was justified&#8230;.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Dylan Roof might not qualify for an &#8220;insanity defense&#8221; under today&#8217;s law. What&#8217;s legally crazy<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/#4\">4<\/a><\/sup> and what&#8217;s not has changed in the English-speaking world since <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Daniel_M'Naghten\">Daniel M&#8217;Naghten<\/a> shot the Prime Minister&#8217;s private secretary in 1843.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"i\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_antisemitism_in_the_United_States#Early_Twentieth_Century\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160321ff\/20160322-800px-18960415_antisemitic_political_cartoon_in_Sound_Money-trim-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\"><\/a>I do, however, see a problem with Mr. Roof&#8217;s reason for rejecting mental health evaluations and testimony:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;&#8230;According to a handwritten motion Roof filed, he said he would not call mental health experts to testify at his trial because he is sceptical of psychology.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8216;It is a Jewish invention and does nothing but invent diseases and tell people they have problems when they don&#8217;t,&#8217; he wrote separately in a journal&#8230;.&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38512340\">BBC News<\/a> (January 5, 2017))<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"im\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/shopping-center-attack-why-i-care\/#2\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20140708-Scientific_racism_irish-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\"><\/a>I&#8217;m not surprised that someone who managed to get labeled as a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/White_supremacy\">white supremacist<\/a>&#8221; would be skeptical of a &#8220;Jewish invention.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I know too much of my family history to see racial or ethnic prejudice as anything but a problem.<\/p>\n<p>I look &#8216;Anglo,&#8217; but am nearly half-Irish: which is not, by some standards, &#8220;white.&#8221; I think that&#8217;s crazy, in more ways than one, and that&#8217;s another topic. (<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/hate-justice-forgiveness\/#nativism\">November 29, 2016<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"getting\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/amos-and-social-justice\/#social\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/451px-Prologue_Hammurabi_Code_Louvre_AO10237-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\"><\/a>Getting back to insanity, law, and justice; I think there&#8217;s a sort of &#8216;insanity defense&#8217; in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Code_of_Hammurabi\">Hammurabi&#8217;s law code<\/a>. Punishments for assault were significantly reduced if the accused could say &#8220;I struck him without intent:&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;&#8230;206. If a man strike another man in a quarrel and wound him, he shall swear: &#8216;I struck him without intent,&#8217; and he shall be responsible for the physician.<br \/>\n&#8220;207. If (he) die as a result of the stroke, he shall swear (as above), and if he be a man, he shall pay one-half mana of silver.<br \/>\n&#8220;208. If (he) be a freeman, he shall pay one-third mana of silver&#8230;.&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikisource.org\/wiki\/The_Code_of_Hammurabi_(Harper_translation)\">The Code of Hammurabi (Harper translation)<\/a>, via Wikisource)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>On the other hand, Hammurabi&#8217;s law code assigned the death penalty to crimes that didn&#8217;t result in death. (<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/amos-and-social-justice\/#social\">September 25, 2016<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 38 centuries later, we still have laws; and folks who break the laws.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h4><a name=\"justice\"><\/a>Justice and the Death Penalty<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/jesus-and-expectations\/#these\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/201508ff\/Timeline20130924-20150812.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><\/a><br \/>\n(Today&#8217;s decisions have lasting consequences.)<\/p>\n<p>Killing an innocent person is wrong. That&#8217;s because human life is sacred. The divine image is in each of us; no matter who we are, who our ancestors are, <strong>or<\/strong> what we&#8217;ve done. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_P3.HTM#PENT.GEN.1.27\">Genesis 1:27<\/a>; Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s2c1p6.htm#357\">357<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s2c1p6.htm#361\">361<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s2c1p6.htm#369\">369<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s2c1p6.htm#370\">370<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1.htm#1700\">1700<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a3.htm#1730\">1730<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2268\">2268<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2269\">2269<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1929\">1929<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2273\">2273<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2274\">2274<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2276\">2276<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2279\">2279<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>What we do with our life, and the lives of those around us, is up to each of us: for good or ill. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a1.htm#1701\">1701<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a1.htm#1709\">1709<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2258\">2258<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Everyone&#8217;s life is precious, including mine: and yours. That&#8217;s why defending myself, using the least force necessary, is okay: even if that action results in my attacker&#8217;s death. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2263\">2263<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2267\">2267<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t think that makes &#8216;I thought he was going to hit me, so I killed him&#8217; a legitimate defense. And it sure wouldn&#8217;t make it okay for me to kill someone I&#8217;d tied up: no matter how angry or insecure I felt.<\/p>\n<p>Killing a prisoner is allowed, if that really is the only way that innocent people can be protected. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2267\">2267<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I do not doubt that and Esteban Santiago-Ruiz and Dylann Roof are guilty of murder.<\/p>\n<p>I also think that letting either of them go free would put innocent lives in peril.<\/p>\n<p>But I do not think that the United States of America is so desperately poor or weak that we must kill these two men in self-defense.<\/p>\n<p>And killing them to appease a visceral desire for more death doesn&#8217;t make sense.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"not\"><\/a>Not Trusting My Feelings<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/hate-justice-forgiveness\/#so\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20150619-BBC-News-Video-Frame-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">(From BBC News, used w\/o permission.)<\/span><br \/>\n(&#8220;&#8216;Everyone&#8217;s plea for your soul is proof that they lived in love and their legacies will live in love. So hate won&#8217;t win&#8217;, a relative of one victim told the suspect&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-33206084\">BBC News<\/a>))<\/p>\n<p>I keep saying this. I&#8217;m expected to love God, love my neighbors, see everyone as my neighbor, and treat others as I&#8217;d like to be treated. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVE.HTM#GOSP.MAT.5.43\">Matthew 5:43<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVE.HTM#GOSP.MAT.5.44\">44<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVG.HTM#GOSP.MAT.7.12\">7:12<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVV.HTM#GOSP.MAT.22.36\">22:36<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVV.HTM#GOSP.MAT.22.40\">40<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWE.HTM#GOSP.MAR.12.28\">Mark 12:28<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWE.HTM#GOSP.MAR.12.31\">31<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWP.HTM#GOSP.LUK.6.31\">Luke 6:31<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.25\">10:25<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.27\">27<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.29\">29<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.37\">37<\/a>; Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a6.htm#1789\">1789<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everyone&#8221; means <strong>everyone:<\/strong> no exceptions. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p122a4p2.htm#604\">604<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p122a4p2.htm#605\">605<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p2s2c2a4.htm#1465\">1465<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p4s1c1a2.htm#2608\">2608<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p4s2a3.htm#2844\">2844<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Feeling angry about mass murder is a natural reaction. But we&#8217;re supposed to <strong>think.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Emotions happen. It&#8217;s part of being human. So is using my brain, thinking before I act or speak. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c3a1.htm#1951\">1951<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a3.htm#1730\">1730<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1763\">1763<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1767\">1767<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Emotions may show that something requires attention. After that, my job is using reason to decide what I should or should not do. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1763\">1763<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1765\">1765<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1767\">1767<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Controlling what happens inside, in my heart, is harder: but that&#8217;s also required. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVE.HTM#GOSP.MAT.5.21\">Matthew 5:22<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVE.HTM#GOSP.MAT.5.22\">22<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVO.HTM#GOSP.MAT.15.18\">15:18<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVO.HTM#GOSP.MAT.15.19\">19<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Letting anger build into a desire to harm or kill someone else is a very bad idea. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1762\">1762<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a5.htm#1775\">1775<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2302\">2302<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2a5.htm#2303\">2303<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Forgiving someone who has done something very wrong isn&#8217;t easy. But it is a good idea: and not the same as pretending that an injustice never happened. Respecting the &#8220;transcendent dignity&#8221; of humanity means that we work for justice. The trick is hating the sin \u2014 <strong>not<\/strong> the sinner. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p123a10.htm#976\">976<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p123a10.htm#980\">980<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1929\">1929<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1933\">1933<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p4s2a3.htm#2820\">2820<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve talked about this before:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/hate-justice-forgiveness\/\">Hate, Justice, Forgiveness<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(November 29, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/celebrating-mercy\/\">Celebrating Mercy<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(November 21, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/the-virtue-trap\/\">The Virtue Trap<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(October 23, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/love-mercy-and-911\/\">Love, Mercy, and 9\/11<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(September 11, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/not-going-native\/\">Not Going Native<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(August 14, 2016)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p><sup><a name=\"1\"><\/a>1<\/sup> St. Joseph is the patron Saint of a happy death, among other things. I know: &#8220;happy death&#8221; seems like a contradiction in terms, but it makes sense if you look at if from <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alphonsus_Maria_de'_Liguori\">St. Alphonsus Ligouri&#8217;s<\/a> viewpoint \u2014<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Since we all must die, we should cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death.&#8221;<br \/>\n(St. Alphonsus Liguori)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That&#8217;s at the top of the third page of this resource:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20151212ff-Documents\/prayer-resources.pdf\">Prayers, Litanies, and Intercessions<\/a>,&#8221; USCCB<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">(From <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/issues-and-action\/human-life-and-dignity\/assisted-suicide\/to-live-each-day\/upload\/prayer-resources.pdf\">www.usccb.org\/issues-and-action\/human-life-and-dignity\/assisted-suicide\/to-live-each-day\/upload\/prayer-resources.pdf<\/a> (January 9, 2017))<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><sup><a name=\"2\"><\/a>2<\/sup> More:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Fort_Lauderdale_airport_shooting\">2017 Fort Lauderdale airport shooting<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Fort_Lauderdale_airport_shooting#Attack\">Attack<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_Fort_Lauderdale_airport_shooting#Suspect\">Suspect<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Involuntary_commitment\">Involuntary commitment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Involuntary_treatment\">Involuntary treatment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Political_abuse_of_psychiatry\">Political abuse of psychiatry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Snake_Pit\">The Snake Pit<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>FBI\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/news\/pressrel\">Press Releases<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdfl\/pr\/esteban-santiago-has-initial-appearance-federal-court-connection-shooting-fort\">Esteban Santiago Has Initial Appearance in Federal Court in Connection with Shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport<\/a>&#8221; (January 9, 2017)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38545653\">Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect charged<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nBBC News (January 8, 2017)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-38539739\">Fort Lauderdale airport shooting: Suspect Santiago held<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nBBC News (January 7, 2017)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><sup><a name=\"3\"><\/a>3<\/sup> The inside of my head isn&#8217;t a nice place, but it&#8217;s what I have to work with. I&#8217;ve talked about this before:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/sweet-potatoes-genes-and-long-life\/\">Sweet Potatoes, Genes, and Long Life<\/a>&#8221; (October 21, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/sweet-potatoes-genes-and-long-life\/#ethics\">Ethics, Genetic Tests, and Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/trusting-feelings-within-reason\/\">Trusting Feelings: Within Reason<\/a>&#8221; (October 5, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/trusting-feelings-within-reason\/#getting\">Getting Angry, Staying Angry<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/mother-teresa-the-moment-passed\/\">Mother Teresa: &#8216;The Moment Passed&#8217;<\/a>&#8221; (September 4, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/mother-teresa-the-moment-passed\/#feelings\">Feelings and Faith<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/humility-isnt-being-delusional\/\">Humility isn\u2019t Being Delusional<\/a>&#8221; (July 31, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/humility-isnt-being-delusional\/#accepting\">Accepting Reality<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/humility-isnt-being-delusional\/#3\">footnote 3<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><sup><a name=\"4\"><\/a>4<\/sup> A quick look at insanity and American law:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/insanity_defense\">Insanity defense<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nWex, Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School, Last Updated in July of 2016 by Emanuel Francone<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some of my take on law, history, and being human:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/celebrating-mercy\/\">Celebrating Mercy<\/a>&#8221; (November 21, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/celebrating-mercy\/#some\">Some Laws We Make Up, Some We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/celebrating-mercy\/#death\">Death, Life, and Decisions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/celebrating-mercy\/#forgiving\">Forgiving: It&#8217;s Important<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/authority-superstition-progress\/\">Authority, Superstition, Progress<\/a>&#8221; (October 30, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/authority-superstition-progress\/#sumerian\">Sumerian Renaissance, Roman Law<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/authority-superstition-progress\/#radioactive\">Radioactive Rubble and Law<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/authority-superstition-progress\/#working\">Working for Future Generations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/not-going-native\/\">Not Going Native<\/a>&#8221; (August 14, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/not-going-native\/#love\">Love, Not the Status Quo<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/not-going-native\/#crime\">Crime and\/or Evil<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/not-going-native\/#taking\">Taking Love Seriously<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Death at a Bible study back in 2015, and at Fort Lauderdale airport last week, has been in the news. It&#8217;s probably not as exciting as what glitterati were wearing and saying at the Golden Globe Awards; but I figured &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/deciding-who-dies\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Mass murder in a church in 2015 and an airport in 2017. Caring: and thinking about life, death, dignity, justice and the death penalty.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[212,215],"tags":[16,152,82,77,27,18,15,147],"class_list":["post-761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-being-a-citizen","category-being-catholic","tag-america","tag-capital-punishment","tag-death","tag-emotions","tag-history","tag-legitimate-defense","tag-life-issues","tag-psychology"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Dwtw-ch","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=761"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5428,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/761\/revisions\/5428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}