Bill and Denise Richard, parents of 8-year-old Martin who was one of three
people killed in the explosions at the Boston Marathon's finish line,
are parents brimming with levels of forgiveness and compassion that I
hope to acquire someday. Recently, Bill and Denise wrote the following
piece that appeared in
The Boston Globe wherein they beseeched the government to take the possibility of a death
sentence for their son’s murderer, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
“The past two years have been the most trying of our lives. Our family
has grieved, buried our young son, battled injuries, and endured numerous
surgeries — all while trying to rebuild lives that will never be
the same. We sat in the courtroom, day after day, bearing witness to overwhelming
evidence that included graphic video and photographs, replicated bombs,
and even the clothes our son wore his last day alive. We are eternally
grateful for the courage and life-saving measures of first responders,
Boston Police, the Boston Fire Department, and good Samaritans on April
15, 2013. We also thank the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, the
Department of Justice, and the Massachusetts US Attorney’s Office
for leaving no stone unturned during the investigation and trial.
But now that the tireless and committed prosecution team has ensured that
justice will be served, we urge the Department of Justice to bring the
case to a close. We are in favor of and would support the Department of
Justice in taking the death penalty off the table in exchange for the
defendant spending the rest of his life in prison without any possibility
of release and waiving all of his rights to appeal.
We understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crimes
committed. We were there. We lived it. The defendant murdered our 8-year-old
son, maimed our 7-year-old daughter, and stole part of our soul. We know
that the government has its reasons for seeking the death penalty, but
the continued pursuit of that punishment could bring years of appeals
and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives. We hope our two
remaining children do not have to grow up with the lingering, painful
reminder of what the defendant took from them, which years of appeals
would undoubtedly bring.
For us, the story of Marathon Monday 2013 should not be defined by the
actions or beliefs of the defendant, but by the resiliency of the human
spirit and the rallying cries of this great city. We can never replace
what was taken from us, but we can continue to get up every morning and
fight another day. As long as the defendant is in the spotlight, we have
no choice but to live a story told on his terms, not ours. The minute
the defendant fades from our newspapers and TV screens is the minute we
begin the process of rebuilding our lives and our family.
This is a deeply personal issue and we can speak only for ourselves. However,
it is clear that peace of mind was taken not just from us, but from all
Americans. We honor those who were lost and wish continued strength for
all those who were injured. We believe that now is the time to turn the
page, end the anguish, and look toward a better future — for us,
for Boston, and for the country.”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/16/end-anguish-drop-death-penalty/ocQLejp8H2vesDavItHIEN/story.html#