Two days ago, while dining at a small restaurant, I overheard a group of university students at the next table discussing a hot-button issue: “Should the death penalty be abolished?” There were five of them (three males and two females) debating passionately. From my perspective as an observer, one pair appeared to be a couple—let’s call them Male A and Female B. The others were friends C, D, and E. The most classic moment occurred when Male A said, “I think the death penalty should be abolished,” and Female B immediately retorted that it must stay.
Male A: “Why? Don’t you think those sentenced to death are pitiable? They don’t get a second chance.” Female B: “And did he give the person he killed a second chance?” Male A: “That’s different.” Female B: “How is it different?” Male A: “One is a momentary impulse or a misunderstanding; the other is a state of having the capacity to think.” Female B: “So, if I sleep with someone else while I’m drunk, can I say I lacked the capacity to think and it was just because the ‘vibe was right’? Would you forgive me?” Male A: “That’s different.” Female B: “How is it different?” Male A: “Because you are mine, and only I can have you.” (I literally spat out my rice hearing this. It startled them.)
As for C, D, and E, they all held differing opinions. An hour passed in relentless argument. A, C, and D were pro-abolition (two males, one female), while B and E supported the death penalty (one male, one female). Just as I was deciding whether to keep listening to these kids or pay and leave…
Female B: “Maybe we should ask him?” (Referring to me. I pretended not to hear and looked at my phone.) Female B: “Excuse me… (very polite), I know you’ve heard our conversation. We are students from XX University. Since we’re in the humanities, we’ve been researching whether to support or abolish the death penalty. Could you give us your opinion?” (Research? You kids don’t look like you’re researching anything.)
Me: “Well, I overheard a little bit.” Female B: “What do you think? Do you support it or not?” (I turned to see Male A looking a bit jealous, wearing a ‘let’s see you try to top me’ smirk.)
Me: “It’s simple, really.” (I slowly sat at their table and looked directly at Male A.)
Me: “Who do you love most?” Male A: “Huh? Why?” Me: “Who is it?” Male A: “My girlfriend, obviously.” Me: “And family?” Male A: “My parents and my sister.” Me: “Do you love them?” Male A: “Yes.”
Me: “Good. Imagine one day you’re on your way home. Your girlfriend is already there waiting to celebrate your birthday. Your mom calls to tell you she’s prepared all your favorite foods. Your sister has come home to help. Your dad even bought you that new computer you wanted. But, after classes, you walk into your house to find your dad stabbed multiple times, dead on the floor with his eyes wide open. Your mom is dead in the kitchen, her throat slit. Your sister has been drowned in the bathtub, naked. And your girlfriend (Female B) is on the bed, clothes torn, strangled to death after being raped. Then, as you run to the living room to call the police, you see the table full of your favorite food, the birthday card, the gifts. The killer is caught. You ask him why? The judge asks him why? He only says: ‘I was wrong! I drank too much that day! I wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry.’ Or he says: ‘I knew I’d kill someone in this life, I don’t regret it!’ Or like Cheng Chieh (the subway killer), he asks coldly: ‘Will I be sentenced to death for this?’”
I then asked: “What would you do?”
A, B, C, D, and E all stared at me with stunned expressions.
Me: “A, what would you do?” Male A: “I… I don’t know.” Me: “If he doesn’t die, and 10 or 20 years later he is released, and you see him walking past you like a stranger, maybe smoking or eating… what would you do?” Male A: “I… don’t know.” Me: “You don’t know?” Male A: ”…” (Panic-stricken and speechless.)
Me: “Tell me, without your parents, your sister, or B, how would you feel?” Male A: ”…Very sad… I… don’t know.”
Me: “You’ve never experienced such a thing, have you?” Male A: “No.”
Me: “Then do not apply your hypocritical kindness to the pain of those who have suffered such tragedies!” Male A: “I…”
Me: “Because of your ignorance, those murderous, sub-human scumbags might be wandering right beside you. Because of your hypocritical kindness, another family might be destroyed! So, please stop the hypocrisy—unless your family is murdered and you can still open your arms to embrace the killer and tell him it’s okay, you forgive him.”
The boys were speechless; the girls were in tears. The diners at the next table stared at me in shock.
Me: “I’ve said my piece. I hope it gives you something to think about.” (I gave a warm smile.) Female B: (Wiping tears) “Thank you.”
I paid the bill and walked out. On the way home, looking up at the sky, I thought: “Abolitionists are fools.”