Death penalty for Smoky Bear

            If the woman's ex-husband had killed her in the Great

    Smoky Mountain National Park instead of a perfectly normal black

    bear, the guy could have pleaded  temporary insanity in a

    courtroom - before being executed.

          But " Smoky " - and a yearling - were shot on the spot

    - after the deed ? - by park rangers.

         The AP story said that the black bear had mauled to

    death 50 year old Glenda Ann Brady while she was waiting for

    her ex-husband in the park. ( Projo -May 23, page A2 )

            To be sure, wickedness cannot go unpunished even in

    a wild black bear - or the yearling now tainted with

    original sin. And even though the National Parks exist

    so that wild things can just be themselves !

            And perhaps the black hearted killers we execute have

    no more FREE WILL than the Great Smoky bear ? But unlike

    the black bear are simply CRAZY  !


           Some questions are just too deep for compassionate

    conservatism .