Roomin' House Blues

A recent article by Sr. Helen Prejan, of Dead Man Walking fame. Ride the current

More on Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, who abolished the death penalty in his state on Ash Wednesday, under the guidance of the idea of a Seamless Garment of Life idea. His reasoning not only stops the death penalty in Illinois, but it puts him in the pro-life Democratic camp. More at the New York Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/us/26religion.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=governor%20quinn&st=cse  

Democrats for Life, on their Facebook page, called attention to something of merit: ”Early on the morning of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent’s season of penitence, Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois went through some final, solitary rumination. For much of his political career, he had supported capital punishment, albeit with reservations, even debating it at the dinner table with his mother. Now a legislative bill abolishing it was waiting for his signature, or his veto…And when he signed the bill striking down the death penalty, he cited one influence by name: Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago.”  From the NYT

Below is a letter from the Gov. of Illinois as to why he abolished the death penalty. Today I have signed Senate Bill 3539, which abolishes the death penalty in Illinois. For me, this was a difficult decision, quite literally the choice between life and death. This was not a decision to be made lightly, or a decision that I came to without deep personal reflection. Since the General Assembly passed this bill, I have met or heard from a wide variety of people on both sides of the issue. I have talked with prosecutors, judges, elected officials, religious leaders from around the world, families of murder victims, people on death row who were exonerated and people like you who have taken the time to share their thoughts with me. Their experiences and your words and opinions have made a tremendous impact on my thinking, and I thank you for reaching out to me on this matter. After this guidance, as well as much thought and reflection, I have concluded that our system of imposing th...