You know you’re frustrated and dying to write when you’re trying to log in to your computer and end up typing in the name you’re thinking about instead of the proper password. It was just over a week ago when I came across the name Brandon Bernard for the first time. I was reading CNN’s daily “5 Things” email, and Brandon Bernard had made the list for that day. This is what I learned from CNN:
“Brandon Bernard, a federal prisoner convicted of murder for his part in the gang killing of a couple in 1999, was executed last night by lethal injection, much to the dismay of the activists who had been pleading for a stay of execution. He was the youngest person in the United States to receive a death sentence in nearly 70 years for a crime her committed when he was an adolescent, and his execution is the ninth to be carried out since Attorney General William Barr restarted federal executions after a 17-year hiatus. Bernard’s case garnered lots of attention from activists, including Kim Kardashian West, who argued against Bernard’s execution because he was a teenager at the time of the double murder, and was not the person who actually shot and killed the two victims.”
In addition to Kim Kardashian West, over 20 other political figures attempted to halt Bernard’s sentence as well. The various appeals made by political figures were denied at multiple court levels, including the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court.
Bernard expressed remorse and a sincere apology to the family impacted by the murder. Charles Woodward, the father of one of the victims, Stacie Bagley, stated, "I pray that Brandon has accepted Christ as his Savior, because if he has, Todd and Stacie will welcome him into Heaven with love and forgiveness."
I have a lot going on inside my head about this, and the easiest way for me to effectively share this is by making a list, so here goes:
- It is important to note that Bernard was 19 years old when he played a part in this crime. I am struggling with the fact that he remained on Death Row for twenty-one years as he awaited punishment.
- He was not the one who had a direct role in killing the victims, so why did he pay for this crime with his life?
- I can’t wrap my head around Charles Woodward’s statement. The fact that he is hoping that another man has accepted Christ as his savior leads me to believe that Woodward himself identifies as Christian. I understand firsthand that forgiveness is incredibly difficult, and I have no idea how hard it must have been to lose a child, especially when they are taken from you forcefully. But how, in good faith, can one just sit there and accept this outcome, this “eye for an eye” behavior when they have been taught their whole life to turn the other cheek? How can someone be content with the fact that another life will be taken in addition to the lives that have already been lost?
- I can’t even begin to imagine the despair, rage, frustration, and anguish the Black community is feeling right now. This gives evidence of racial inequality. The highest level of the justice system, the very institution sworn to fairly and equitably uphold the rights and freedoms of all people (ALL people) is letting them down.
- Will the same standard be held to Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who killed three people with an AR-15 rifle in Kenosha on August 25th, 2020? Or will he be off the hook because of the color of his skin?
For those reading this, I’ve added
a link below to CNN’s article on Brandon Bernard’s execution. I highly recommend
reading it.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/brandon-bernard-executed/index.html
Please feel free to start a dialogue with me on the points I’ve listed above. I will gladly have a respectful conversation with anyone who wants to talk about this topic.
Thanks for reading!
