Reason First: Why Forgive a Monster?-John Albert Taylor

Philosopher and author Ayn Rand once said that, “If one does feel compassion for the torturers, it is an act of moral treason toward the victims.” This can be applied to the case of John Albert Taylor. Even at his execution by firing squad, Taylor wished to troll the state of Utah because the action would be “embarrassing.” In June 1989, the body of Charla King appeared before her mother. Taylor had garrotted her with a telephone wire.

He had sexually assaulted the young girl before snuffing out her life. Two days after Charla’s funeral, the authorities nabbed Taylor on a hunch from his own sister who tipped off the cops.

Now, this beast in the streets deserved his fate on January 26, 1996. As rounds riddled his body, the demise of an evildoer occurred. Why would this prompt anyone to absolve a man so vicious? Sherron King, the mother of the victim said, “Thanks to God...for helping me to forgive John Albert Taylor.” Why? This monster committed a heinous crime against her own daughter. He exemplified corruption and wickedness and deserved every round that entered into his body.

The compassion that King showed for Taylor only demonstrated the fact that the unknown and unknowable in the culture has some alleged supernatural powers to erase the vicious acts that Taylor committed. It’s like pinning a medal on his breast saying, “You raped and killed my daughter, but thanks be to God that I will pardon you for your wayward behavior.”

Taylor had a toxic sense of humor and relished the fact that he could attempt to have his way with a young girl and almost got away with it if it were not for Taylor’s sister. To say that Taylor is excused for his actions is to give credence for his malevolent ways.

For Sherron King, her mind had been warped by the mysticism of our age. It is believed that any man or woman can go out and rob, rape, and murder anyone and they’ll be punished physically but pardoned spiritually.

Taylor just wanted to live a life as a brute. His request to have a loaded pizza as his last meal was his last act of inconveniencing the state of Utah. He would meet his metallic end with five rifles trained at his heart. He perished at 12:07 am.

The compassion displayed by Sherron for Taylor is detestable. The malignancy of the crime showed that he did not warrant any forgiveness or feelings of letting go of his ugly deeds. And some will say that forgiving leads to closure. How? The closure that one “feels” is actually a closure of a door in the mind that’s marked “Justice.” A door marked “Sacrifice” swung open in King’s thoughts. By not recognizing that her top value had been savagely raped and murdered and that the man who did it seemed to have done it for kicks and to get back at the state of Utah, she belittled herself and the memory of Charla.

To find forgiveness for this monster was reprehensible. It makes it seem like what he did should be pushed to the side as if he brushed against the girl’s elbow, and how awful would that have been, given Taylor’s disposition?

This pedophile from the age of at least 17 could have been capable of more destructive acts. And for the mother to turn on her slain daughter is horrific. She’s saying that any mother should forgive monsters no matter if the attscker’s person is destroyed by the state or not.

There is no room for forgiving and excusing disturbed minds like that of Taylor’s. Compassion should only be reserved for victims, not as Miss Rand said, “the torturers.”