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February 25, 1999 Death Penalty Still Serves a Purpose Dear Readers: Much has been made as of late about the death penalty, especially with regard to the Governor`s recent pardon. I can`t say strongly enough how much I disagree with the Governor`s decision in this matter. In fact, just this week the Missouri House spent considerable time debating legislation that I introduced to expand the death penalty in certain especially despicable crimes. Under this bill, those who intentionally cause the death of a child, a developmentally disabled person or a dependent adult, and have previously engaged in a pattern or practice of assault or torture of the person will be guilty of the crime of homicide by abuse. This crime would be a class A felony and thus make the offender eligible for the death penalty. I know those who are against the death penalty will point out that it is arbitrarily applied and the Governor`s recent decision only provides ammunition to their cause. However, while we certainly should take all reasonable steps to make sure that it is applied fairly, I firmly believe we need this ultimate method of punishment. We need it as a deterrent, but more importantly we need it to continue to make a strong statement to all would-be criminals among us--that some things just won`t be tolerated in our society. In these particular instances, such as is described in my legislation, where someone has shown such cruel indifference to human life and has made a habit of preying on the weakest in our society, criminals need to know that they will likely forfeit their lives. Sincerely, Rep. Jim Kreider Speaker Pro Tem | |||||
Paid for by Kreider for Senator.
Bobby Neal Jr., Treasurer. Not at taxpayer's expense.
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