Over Spring Break I learned of ground-breaking legislation currently in front of Oklahoma's State Senate. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, calls for the execution of repeat child molesters.

Democratic Sen. Bernest Cain, one of a few bill opponents, called it "a red-neck re-election bill," according to the Dallas Morning News. Cain has earned the right to call the legislation what he wishes, but he is wrong. The bill gives the government power to do what is necessary to make the world a safer place for children.

The concept is not entirely new. In 1964, Ronald Wolf was put to death in Missouri for rape. However, the Supreme Court blocked the execution of a convicted rapist in 1977, citing the punishment as "cruel or unusual."

Unfortunately for offenders, child molestation is more cruel and unusual than an execution. In fact I find it far more cruel and unusual than putting a repeat offender to death. In this country we execute those who have killed other people. It is time we took steps toward removing those in our society who leave the body of a child intact, while shattering that same child's soul.

According to www.darkness2light.org, a Web site that aims to raise awareness about sexual abuse, between 70 percent and 80 percent of molested children reported heavy alcohol or drug use. An estimated 60 percent of pregnant teens were sexually assaulted as children. Almost 75 percent of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused. I could recite facts all day. The point is a sexually abused child rarely recovers from the emotional sting.

One argument is that sex offenders can rehabilitate and those people deserve a second chance. This is at least partially true. Only 13 percent of child sex offenders are reconvicted for a child related offense, according to the Center for Sex Offender Management's Web site, www.csom.org. While I don't believe a child molester deserves any kind of "second chance," I do believe those who are reconvicted are not "curable."

I believe there are people in our country that commit crimes of necessity. The man who steals a loaf of bread to feed his family is not a thief. The man who shoots a burglar to defend his family is not a murderer. But there is no necessity in this society to molest, abuse or rape a child, nor is there a necessity to give repeat child sex offenders the opportunity to molest, abuse or rape a third time.

I understand execution won't change the sad circumstances of a child that has already been molested. However, it is the ultimate assurance that some offenders will never torment another child. That's an assurance I support.

We live in a very politically correct world. In some circumstances, though, we must put aside feelings of political correctness. I am sure to some people this is an offensive notion. But an issue of this nature is more than a mere matter of political correctness. It is a matter of justice. And it is about time the government provided an avenue through which justice can be served.