Brandon Biggs was 19 years old when his father spent his finalhours stuck in a windshield pleading to his killer to get himhelp.
Chante Mallard, who was convicted of killing him, sat and waitedfor him to bleed to death.
Biggs, however, did not lash out at Mallard. He did not demandthat "justice be served." He did not ask for Mallard's eye inexchange for his father's. "I hope she fries" did not come out ofhis mouth.
Instead, Biggs offered forgiveness.
He forgave Mallard after his father's right leg and arm werebroken and his left leg was nearly severed. He forgave, even thoughhis father's passing was a grisly one.
Biggs understands correctly: Mallard is not a monster; she is ahuman.
Americans would be wise to follow his example.
In recent years, difficult and critical thinking has been passe.The tempting efficiency of a dualistic philosophy has dominatedeverything from city-council meetings to national security.
Biggs knows better. He realizes that all humans are equallycapable of the same inhumane acts and that all humans makemistakes. Some of our mistakes are more severe than others. All ofour mistakes must be met with consequences, but even the mostabominable human error -- in the grand scheme of time, space andGod -- is only a human error.
Mallard, the person, is not defined merely by her murder. Shehas performed millions of actions in her lifetime and will performmillions more still. We, as a society, need to approach our fallennot only with a punitive hand, but also with a rehabilitativeone.
More of our prisoners should be taught how to live healthier.More of our prisoners should be educated in prison. More of ourprisoners need to be given vocational training so they may enterthe workforce when they leave prison.
Every prisoner who leaves prison with an education, job trainingand acceptance from society will do more for this economy, in thelong run, than any tax cut could.
No person is a lost cause. Even Texas death-row inmates stillhave a sense of compassion. They raised $10,000 for Biggs to go toseminary. The supposedly cruel, heartless and murdering monsters ofTexas' death row felt enough sorrow towards Biggs' loss that theyraised scholarship money so he could become a minister.
They did so with a newsletter that does not promote theiropinions of capital punishment or the prison system. They did soonly to prove that even murderers can contribute positively tosociety.
Violent criminals are not suitable for every role in society.Crime must be met with punishment, but criminals must not beforsaken once they have paid their debts. We do not "stand united"as long as we allow these people to fall back into the cracks.
If we can put "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, then wemust put "unconditional forgiveness" into our American way ofthinking. This is not idealistic; it is necessary.
Look up to Brandon Biggs and follow his lead.
Write to "Mouse" at bbmcshane@bsu.edu
visit www.classicalgeektheatre.com
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