Comments on: Susan’sThird WIP http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/07/16/susansthird-wip/ A School Library Journal Blog Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:26:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anon. http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/07/16/susansthird-wip/comment-page-1/#comment-737 Anon. Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:18:13 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/07/16/susansthird-wip/#comment-737 “Are you the sum total of your worst act?” It’s not the only question for these fellows on death row, and I doubt that it’s the most relevant question, but it’s a good question, satisfied at its own cleverness and easy to answer: Of course you aren’t! But — so what? Your worst act may not be your sum total, but if your worst act (or at least the one for which you’ve been convicted) is murder, rape, kidnap, etc., or some combination thereof, then your worst act might still be enough. Not that I’m a fan of the death penalty, which is unfairly applied and ought to be scrapped for all sorts of reasons. It’s just that these pieces that attempt to show the sensitive sides of murderers rub me the wrong way. “Are you the sum total of your worst act?” It’s not the only question for these fellows on death row, and I doubt that it’s the most relevant question, but it’s a good question, satisfied at its own cleverness and easy to answer: Of course you aren’t! But — so what? Your worst act may not be your sum total, but if your worst act (or at least the one for which you’ve been convicted) is murder, rape, kidnap, etc., or some combination thereof, then your worst act might still be enough.

Not that I’m a fan of the death penalty, which is unfairly applied and ought to be scrapped for all sorts of reasons. It’s just that these pieces that attempt to show the sensitive sides of murderers rub me the wrong way.

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