SB1834 authorizes the death penalty as a punishment for “rape” of a child, “aggravated rape” of a child, or “especially aggravated rape” of a child.
The Senate passed SB1834 on April 23, 2024, by a vote of 23 to 5. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because justice is the overall purpose of civil government. The State of Tennessee has a dual role of securing the “unalienable Rights” to life, liberty, and property while punishing anyone responsible for depriving them. A person convicted of child rape can only themself be held accountable for their own actions, and punishment for one’s crimes must be borne by that individual. Rape, which is a deep violation of personhood and often involves the shedding of innocent blood, is a serious crime that demands capital punishment, for mankind has been created in the image of God. The U.S. Constitution’s “due process” and “equal protection” requirements justly follow the Common Law retributive principle that “the punishment should fit the crime.”