The 'coolest thing made in Delaware' may save more than 20,000 lives a year
OPINION

Why shouldn't my daughter's killer die?

Curt McKay
Delaware Voice

Over the last eight years I have read more about being humane to criminals who have totally disobeyed this country's laws, than needs to ever talked about. Yes, there are some crimes committed that don't demand a harsh punishment, but when a crime is committed causing the death of another human being, there is no punishment that could be ordered by a judge or jury more deserving than death to them.

Inhumane seems to be the topic most brought up by Sen. Karen Peterson from Stanton. Is she speaking because she has felt the pain of a victim of a loved one who was brutally murdered? Does she know what it's like to live after your family member was murdered and to know that person gets a place to live, free, doctor and hospital care, free, dental care, free, three meals a day, free.

Senator I don't receive any of this free, in fact I have worked the last 49 years to pay my way through life including paying taxes paying for all those prison freebies.

Inhumane is and should never be a topic for discussion concerning someone who takes another person's life, regardless of whether that person is a police officer, fireman, politician, or one of my children. Death for murder by firing squad, hanging, lethal injection – no matter how long it takes or how much they suffer.

My daughter was murdered Dec. 4, 2006, and my family and I have suffer every day since. How much suffering do you feel we should receive as victims or it is more important to continue to only be concerned about the ones who continue to commit crimes against innocent people? Do you even think about the victim's families suffering or what the rest of their lives are like?

I don't find it surprising that our senator from Stanton feels the way she does, her only commitment to a better Delaware has been very limited and I truly don't believe she is in touch with the people of Delaware.

I hope and pray that the General Assembly of Delaware and all the committees formed to look into the Delaware death penalty understand it's not about the criminal – it's about all the victims. Before you vote, before someone else writes about what's inhumane for murderers who had no concern for inflicting unnecessary suffering – THINK!

Before you were a politician you were a son or daughter, a mother or father – a family. Like so many others, I lost mine. Do you really want to protect murderers and give them what they took away?

The News Journal's decision to print the "Comment" about the Bloomberg View in the March 27 paper was an attempt again to make people think about the terrible way we punish criminals who want to kill others.

Again in The News Journal on Monday March 30 we read Harry Themal's editorial where he think's my daughter's death wasn't heinous enough for the death penalty.

Harry, her murderer was still there when the police arrived at the home where he killed her, covered with my daughter's blood, still in possession of the weapon.

Why should he still be alive, who else wants to talk to me about the death penalty and what's not humane. Anyone who can kill an innocent person, man or women, a child, a police officer, a teller at a bank, a person out walking a dog, no matter who, the person who wants to kill needs to be punished.

We need a strong death penalty no matter how it's done they should suffer!

Curt McKay is a resident of Newark.