"Thou shall not kill" except in cases of state-sanctioned murder....

Let's pause for a moment in our celebration of the onset of summer this Memorial Day to not only honor those who served, but also to reflect on the significance of state-sanctioned murder:

War, i.e., sending young men and women to other lands to murder those whom we perceive as a threat to our national interests. Keep in mind that it's usually the poor who fight our wars

We've recently learned that those who returned from combat with their lives, although suffering from severe physical and mental disabilities, have too often died on long-term waiting lists.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/29/health/delayed-veterans-benefits/

 Capital punishment, i.e., punishing a convicted murderer by murdering him or her;
 
The prolonged execution of Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire  earlier this year aroused debate over the method of killing the accused, not the act of murdering him. Capital punishment is now practiced in 32 states.
.
http://articles.latimes.com/2014/jan/17/nation/la-na-execution-drugs-20140118

It's time  to ask whether or not there are better solutions to protecting our national interests and punishing convicted criminals than state-sanctioned murder.

Okay. Let's get  back to our  backyard grilling and other summer activities.

Peace.