Catholics add their voices to execution opposition in Utah

IC photo by Christine Young

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Ruby Price speaks with Rev. Diana Johnson of Saint Mark's Episcopal Church as Bishop John Wester and Dee Rowland of the Catholic diocese listen at the press conference April 23.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of Salt Lake, joined others at the Scott Matheson Courthouse April 23 to protest the death penalty.

The press conference, organized by Utahns for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (UADP), was held just prior to Third District Court Judge Robin Reese's decision to sign the execution order for Ronnie Lee Gardner, who was sentenced to death for killing lawyer Michael Burdell during an escape attempt at a 1985 court hearing in Salt Lake City. He was also convicted of killing bartender Melvyn John Otterstrom during a 1984 robbery.

Gardner was present for the hearing and said he wanted to be put to death by firing squad. Utah is the only state to allow inmates to die by firing squad.

"Gardner's choice of firing squad will likely bring international attention to Utah. Regrettably, his sentence was a foregone conclusion," said Dee Rowland, government liaison for the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Rowland, one of the founding members of UADP, was the moderator of the press conference and is a member of the Catholic Peace and Justice Commission.

One of UADP's concerns is that the death penalty is expensive. "There are less costly ways to protect society, including life sentences without parole. The money spent on the death penalty system is needed elsewhere for fighting crime and for providing help to victims," Rowland said. "The death penalty contradicts our religious and ethical beliefs."

"I come from a very strong Pentecostal background, and we believe, "Thou shall not kill,'" said Ruby Price, a 94-year-old grandmother and UADP member from Layton whose father was murdered. "My father didn't have a chance to defend himself because he was shot in the back of his head. You can't believe nine commandments and leave out one."

Society should take a strong look at why the death penalty is used, and realize "there are other methods that will respect life instead of eroding our respect for the sanctity of life," Bishop Wester said. "We believe that our society has the right to protect its citizenry from violent criminals and our society has the ability to do that without using the death penalty. Furthermore, we believe that when we engage in the death penalty, it diminishes all of us as a society. It creates a tragic illusion that by taking a life we are restoring a life, and we're not."

Bishop Wester said we cannot remain silent as the State of Utah has 10 people on death row with an execution scheduled.

UADP plans to continue to expand its coalition of both secular and ecumenical groups and individuals who seek a moratorium on the death penalty in Utah, said Ralph Dellapiana, death penalty project director for the Salt Lake Chapter of High Road for Human Rights and a founding member of UADP. "What is important to us is who we are as Utahns. We believe we can choose our own goals and make our own decisions."

"A society that perpetuates violence on its citizens, such as the death penalty, creates an atmosphere of violence in that society, said Rev. David Henry, a Presbyterian pastor serving the First Baptist Church in Salt Lake City. Rev. Henry said he has led Bible studies at the Utah State Prison for 17 years and one of the inmates has grown to be an important part of that worshipping community. "If his conviction for murder had led to his execution, he would never have had the opportunity to acknowledge his crime, experience remorse and find redemption."