Rose Rosso wrote in a Friday letter ("Swift justice"): "The Bible says 'an eye for an eye.' To me that means: If you take a life, yours should be taken as well."

The Old Testament does say "an eye for an eye," but Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, said instead: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."

Jesus brought a new love from God that even 2,000 years later isn't understood. When we learn to trust God and do as Jesus has commanded, then and only then will we do away with the failed death penalty and stop getting ourselves into messes like Iraq.

David Perkins, Fort Worth