The Case of the Condemned Man
There was a man who was convicted and sentenced for the crime of armed robbery. This man had less than two hours to face a firing squad. As he sat in the “condemned men’s” cell of the maximum-security prison, he began to review his life. He looked back on the mayhem he had visited on individuals, families, and society at large, for so many years. His crimes included: kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, murder, and so on. Finally, it had all come down to this day, the day of execution by firing squad!
As he sat reviewing his life, two men suddenly appeared to him in his cell:
The first man told him that it was not really his fault; that he committed these crimes because of his pedigree. He told the condemned man that he was born to an armed robber; who himself was born to a murderer; who was also born to a rapist. This man told the condemned prisoner, that it was rather unfortunate for him to have been singled out, because he was caught. “After all,” he said, “you are not the first, and you certainly will not be the last man to commit these crimes.” He went on to say to the condemned man that his trial was unfair, because his lawyer failed to adequately defend him, and the judge was biased. Therefore, he advised the prisoner to begin to plan his escape.
The second man interjected, telling the condemned prisoner that though his pedigree was of a…
