The Great Derangement - Matt Taibbi [81]
However, there was a secondary point of the lesson, and that is that the guilty should indeed be executed.
“If the manslayer did it with premeditation, he’s got to be put to death,” said Cassie. “Because God is for capital punishment—let’s not have any doubt about that.”
“Hallelujah,” said someone from the crowd.
“Let me tell you,” continued Cassie, “we are so far from those times. I mean, how long do people stay on death row nowadays? Twenty-five, thirty years? It’s ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous,” I agreed.
“I think the thing about that,” said Richard, “is that God so values life, that when someone takes a life, the only thing that’s going to satisfy him—he’s so offended that the only thing that will make it right for him is if that person gives up his life.”
“Amen,” muttered the group.
“Amen,” I said. Why object now?
Ron was frowning during this time. He raised his hand. Richard called on him.
“You know,” he said, “you know, lately, we’ve been having so many of those cases where people on death row go free because of DNA evidence…”
The crowd murmured. I could see eyebrows rising all over the room. I wonder where he’s going with this, I thought. Ron looked up and seemed nervous all of a sudden; he went on.
“I think the thing is, we’ve got so many of those liberal judges now…And when you’ve got jury trials, and people are sitting on the jury trying to decide these cases, I think that people who are good Christian people, it’s easier for them to make a rational decision about these things. I think that people who are in the world, who aren’t with Christ, it’s hard for people like that to make a rational decision. About cases like that, I mean.”
He looked up. I had absolutely no idea what the fuck he was talking about, and I’m pretty sure no one else did either. But this group was not much for arguing; this group was about “testifying,” and testimony, for those to whom the concept is foreign, does not involve much rigorous debate. You give your opinion, you tell your story, everyone claps and pats you on the back and nods in agreement, and then the group moves on. That’s what happened here. Ron made no sense, but everyone nodded like they agreed with him, and that was that.
The meeting went on, through the reading of scripture, more “teaching,” communion, etc. Finally, at around 9:00 p.m., it broke up. I made a beeline across the room to talk to Ron.
“Hey,” I said.
“Oh, hi,” he said. “Really nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” I said. “I was just wondering—what did you mean about those DNA tests?”
“Oh,” he said, his smile disappearing. “I just meant—you know, they’ve been releasing people from death row, because of DNA and all.”
“Right, but what do you mean about that? Do you—do you not believe in the death penalty?”
I asked this in almost a threatening voice, like I was asking if he was gay. I didn’t want him to think I was soft on the death penalty, so the best way to accomplish that, I figured, was to put him on the defensive, like I was an inquisitor trying to weed out a heretic. Incidentally, this was also amusing.
“Oh, no,” he said instantly, looking frightened. “I’m definitely for the death penalty.”
“Then what about those DNA tests?”
“Oh, well, it’s just—a lot of mistakes are made. By liberal judges.”
I frowned. “Okay,” I said. “The people who are on death row by mistake are there because liberal judges put them there?”
“Right,” he said. “I just think—there are people who aren’t in Christ who can’t make rational