On August 9, 1969…Van Houten and another woman held down Rosemary LaBianca as Tex Watson stabbed Leno LaBianca. After stabbing Rosemary, Watson gave Van Houten a knife, and she stabbed the woman at least 14 more times. She testified in 1971, “And I took one of the knives, and Patricia [Krenwinkel] had one — a knife — and we started stabbing and cutting up the lady.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Van_Houten

Discussions of the parole of Van Houten focus on the rarity of a 73-year-old inmate reoffending. Granted, the risk to law-abiding citizens is small. But is that the only risk? What about the risk that double murder will seem less terrible, and that balancing the scales of justice will seem less important?

In the original “Star Wars,” the Death Star destroys a planet, while far away Obi-Wan Kenobi shudders and feels a great disturbance in the Force. Call it a disturbance in the Force, or a violation of the Commandment, or an insult to the Almighty in Whose image the victims were created. Call it what you will.

When premeditated murder is committed, a huge imbalance is created, one that can be put right only by executing the offenders, or at the very least, incarcerating them for life. The offense is not just against human law, but against the Almighty Himself. We used to know that. It’s time we remembered why Justice has a sword in her right hand.