Now that Ayoola Ajayi has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Mackenzie Lueck, there will be those opposed to the death penalty who, upon his eventual natural death, will say justice has been done. In my view, they are wrong and inexcusably so. Then there are those who insist that justice required execution. I believe they are wrong as well. I would argue that justice is not even possible in regard to Ajayi or thousands of others in his league.
It is a basic belief of mine that “justice done” requires punishment that, in every aspect, is equal to the crime committed. That is not possible when it comes to the murder of Mackenzie Lueck. Many people simply cannot accept the disappointing reality that justice is not always possible. They insist that true and perfect justice will come post-mortem. I am familiar with their arguments and have yet to encounter one grounded in objective reality. The ground is always some preferred illusion of immortality.
Ayoola Ajayi’s journey to extinction will be all expenses paid and care will be taken to ensure he never suffers as his victim did. If justice were even possible it would have to be accomplished in the seldom disputed reality of mortal existence and not in some fanciful self-conscious existence beyond the grave.
There is an alternative to the death penalty and life in prison as now carried out in our inexcusably flawed system of justice. Although it would still not accomplish justice, it would be a lesser insult to the concept. Ayoola Ajayi should be sentenced to total isolation for life. When the door closes on his new living arrangement, it would be the end of any visual or audible connection with another human being. He could be fed, clothed and supplied with the basics for maintaining personal hygiene absent any human contact whatsoever.
Some might ask what is to be done should Ajayi experience occasions of crisis when intervention would be required to ease suffering or save his life. The answer is that total isolation for life precludes any possibility of intervention.
Paul B. Fluehe, Salt Lake City
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