I will not stand silent, nor should this newspaper, when a liberal Supreme Court declared that the American people, through their elected representatives, may not decide for ourselves which of the many horrific crimes deserve payment for the ultimate price. The court has just struck down the laws of Louisiana, Georgia, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for himself and the four other liberal members of the high court, pronounced that "the death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child." He based his opinion on what is referred to euphemistically as "the evolving standards of decency."

Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the four conservative dissenting votes: "The court now has decided that the death penalty is absolutely prohibited no matter how young the child, no matter how many times the child is raped, no matter how much physical or psychological trauma is inflicted, and no matter how heinous the perpetrator's prior criminal record may be. I have little doubt that, in the eyes of ordinary Americans, the very worst child rapists-predators who seek out and inflict serious physical and emotional injury on defenseless young children are the epitome of moral depravity."

As for Kennedy's evolving standards of decency, Alito wrote: "From 1976 to 1986, the number of reported cases for child sexual abuse grew from 6,000 to 132,000, an increase of 2,100 percent." I agree with Justice Alito. Many state representatives across America believe decency demands the harshest of measures (including capital punishment) to reduce the alarming trend and to protect our children. The Supreme Court really has no business interfering with them as they combat that crisis.

Sen. Barack Obama (who immediately pronounced his personal objection to the ruling) would as president appoint only liberals to replace the five now seated, as they retire, and a liberal Congress would without objection immediately place all of them on the Supreme Court.

Thomas H. Murphy

Clayton