COMMENTARY | After years of consideration, in the bigger picture of the death penalty as punishment, I am still not sure where I stand. There are certainly cases in which I am tempted to say outright: Yes, this person needs to die for the heinousness of the crime he has committed. And yet, then there are cases like that of Robert Gattis in Delaware.
There was never a doubt as to whether Gattis killed his longtime girlfriend, Shirley Slay, in May 1990. He admitted he was carrying a gun when he went to her apartment the night she died. He admitted he was the one who shot her, and he was sentenced to die for that crime. The date of his execution was set for Saturday. But according to Reuters, Gov. Jack Markell, acting on a 4-1 recommendation of the Board of Pardons, commuted Gattis' death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The reasons why Gattis should not be put to death contain what I have often viewed as tired excuses: childhood abuse, a tragic life. I have argued in the past and still argue that having a tragic life does not give a person permission to hurt -- and, in this case, kill -- others. It doesn't negate the need for consequences.
Gattis never denied the murder. He expressed consistent remorse and rehabilitation during his time in prison. He has spent the past 21 years being a role model and a positive influence, a man who loves and is loved, who has taken who he is and made himself better for his family and for those who know him. Who hasn't tried to run from his mistakes.
This is the person that others, including prison officials, describe. While I certainly hope justice is served in Shirley Slay's name and on behalf of her loved ones who remain, I think that Gattis alive, imprisoned and being a positive difference in the lives of others speaks far more of justice than his death ever could.
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