Death penalty creates more victims
On June 18, 2010, convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner faced a firing squad in Utah at his execution. Looking for a way to heal and cope with the execution of his brother, Randy Gardner found Bill Pelke’s group Journey of Hope.
“I don’t care if you’re innocent or guilty; we don’t have a right to take a person’s life,” says Randy Gardner, who now serves on the board of Journey of Hope.
Gardner is active in speaking against the death penalty. He travels about once a month to talk to organizations about the problems with the death penalty. He has been to places like Texas, Washington D.C. and Uganda.
Executing someone legally costs more than having that person spend life in prison without parole, and it creates a new set of victims from the family of the convicted murderer to those that administer the death penalty.
“I don’t condone what he [my brother] did,” says Gardner. “Killing is not right.”
That goes for the state as well, says Gardner. The death penalty “is the worst form of premeditated murder you could ask for.”
Gardner’s next goals include working locally to get people active and thinking about the death penalty.
“It’s not going to bring the loved one’s back,” says Gardner.
This article originally appeared at examiner.com.
“I don’t care if you’re innocent or guilty; we don’t have a right to take a person’s life,” says Randy Gardner, who now serves on the board of Journey of Hope.
Gardner is active in speaking against the death penalty. He travels about once a month to talk to organizations about the problems with the death penalty. He has been to places like Texas, Washington D.C. and Uganda.
Executing someone legally costs more than having that person spend life in prison without parole, and it creates a new set of victims from the family of the convicted murderer to those that administer the death penalty.
“I don’t condone what he [my brother] did,” says Gardner. “Killing is not right.”
That goes for the state as well, says Gardner. The death penalty “is the worst form of premeditated murder you could ask for.”
Gardner’s next goals include working locally to get people active and thinking about the death penalty.
“It’s not going to bring the loved one’s back,” says Gardner.
This article originally appeared at examiner.com.