Personhood and the Death Penalty

Some wise reflections from Katie Walker.

First of all, the most important difference between the pro-life/personhood movement and the anti-death penalty movement is that preborn children, euthanasia victims, disabled, handicapped etc. are denied their rights because they are considered by society as less equal, as less human, lesser non-persons, because of their age, mental or physical condition or residence.

All these things are situations which they CANNOT alter.

Condemned people on death row are also stripped of their right to life, but NOT because they are considered intrinsically less human, lesser persons. They are stripped of their rights based on the social contract which says that certain crimes demand certain payment to society. Those who receive the death penalty are stripped of their right to life because of a situation which they COULD have altered – the crime they committed. Preborn children have no rights. They are not recognized as persons under the law. Condemned criminals are recognized as persons and accordingly receive due process of the law. (Read entire post.)