To the Editor:

The Easter season recalls the ancient story of a public official who permitted capital punishment of a man he knew to be innocent. Although responsible for dispensing justice, the official realized that an impending riot jeopardized his own position and so justified his cowardice by staging an act of democratic theater, knowing full well what the outcome would be. Aware that circumstances prevented the mob from carrying out the execution, the official even assisted in it by providing the guard to accomplish it - this after symbolically washing his hands of the innocent man's blood.

In the coming election season, the modern day disciples of that ancient public official will adopt his same posture, declaring themselves personally opposed to private executions of the known innocent. Like him, many of them will have long records of assisting in these executions in every possible way and for exactly the same reason - they believe it is to their political advantage. Yet they will receive millions of votes and be elected to many public offices as though the executions of millions of the known innocent didn't matter in the least. Many of those who cast these votes will even regard themselves as followers of the innocent man from long ago who taught that what was done to the least members of society was done to Him. Whose blood will be on whose hands?