Watching the news on Friday evening was somewhat unsettling. All of the local networks were reporting the story of Wilford Berry’s death sentence.As I anxiously awaited official word on whether Berry had been executed, I listened to various public opinions on the matter. A majority of the protesters stated that Berry’s crime did not warrant a trip to the “death house,” since the victim of his crime would reap no benefit from Berry’s death. Others stated that Berry was incompetent to determine whether or not his case should be appealed. This large group of protesters overshadowed a few people who supported capital punishment.It was not surprising that the demonstrators were somewhat placid, probably since Governor Taft had written a letter stating that clemency was not an option. However, I was very disturbed by the events that took place following the execution.Reporters who witnessed Berry’s death were brought into a conference room filled with other reporters. As each witness stepped up to the podium to describe the execution to their colleagues, they told a story that resembled the final scene of a Shakespeare tragedy.”I saw Berry gasping for his last breath … and then he appeared lifeless,” stated one reporter from a Cincinnati newspaper. “He looked directly at the ceiling, never looking at his family, or at us,” stated another reporter.While I realize that Berry’s execution will spark emotions from those who support or oppose capital punishment, I don’t feel that it is necessary to forge his death into such a dramatic event. All of the reporters referred to Berry’s “last three breaths” in a very dramatic fashion; they couldn’t believe that they were witnessing the death of another human being.What some people may fail to realize is that people die in this manner every day. Families gather around hospital beds and watch their loved ones slip away as they too gasp their last breaths of air. I personally watched my fiancee’s father lose a bout to cancer as I sat at his bedside; It is an experience no one should have to go through.My point is that while I am not certain where I stand on the issue of capital punishment, I am certain that we should grieve the loss of the men who make daily contributions to society before we get all choked up about a man who had the privilege of choosing when he was to die.
Joshua Cox, pharmacy
