After reading the article about the rabbis within the Jewish community asking that Squirrel Hill synagogue shooter be spared the death penalty (“Dor Hadash, New Light leaders urge AG to accept life in prison for accused Tree of Life gunman,” Aug. 16, TribLIVE), I would like to say that those rabbis are far more forgiving that I could ever be. I admire the compassion they display, but I disagree with what they are asking for.
By allowing this man to plead down to a lesser charge in order to avoid the death penalty that he certainly deserves, it lends a precedent to such a situation. If someone as evil as this man is permitted to plead for mercy, how can the courts deny others that act in a similar manner?
Not only should the death penalty be enforced in this case, but it should be carried out as quickly as possible. His name should not even be mentioned. The article should read: A person who killed fellow human beings was sent to stand before God to explain his actions and seek God’s mercy.
Nick Liberto
Blawnox