The Jury Has Decided

Well, the jury has decided in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and they have given him the death penalty http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/us/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-death-sentence.html?_r=0.  I have previously said I do not believe in the death penalty, and I still do not believe in the death penalty. 

In a way, I do not blame the jurors.  They were given the opportunity, in the selection process, to let it be known if they were prepared to find for the death penalty.  They made their choice then, to be on the jury.  And from what I have heard of the way the law is written, they were compelled to follow the letter of the law which lead to this decision. That is what jurors are supposed to do. 

I have heard the reactions of some of the victims and survivors who say now they can move forward with their lives.  I am thankful for them that that will be possible.  I wonder if it will. The reality is that there will be years of appeals, and I suspect that will continue to be a burden on the victims and survivors.  And, I cannot imagine the haunt to my psyche that I knowingly wanted someone killed would provide.  It is something beyond me to imagine.

I suspect, in a way, that Tsarnaev went into his mission thinking that there was a possibility that he might die, so maybe the result is not much of a surprise to him.  I am still concerned that this will make him a martyr to the terrorist movement.  And, if it becomes known someone can come to the United States and become a martyr, does this make us more of a target?

Mostly, I am just sad that this country still allows the death penalty, which I still think, no matter what kind of due process is used, is cruel and inhumane.