I’m sure a lot of my conservative pals will completely disagree with me, but it’s past time that we got rid of the death penalty in America.
3 states–New York, New Jersey, and New Mexico–have done just that in the past 2 years. Recently, Illinois joined the club
The governor of Illinois signed a law on Wednesday ending capital punishment, saying it was impossible to fix a system that wrongly condemned 20 men who were later found to be innocent.
When the law signed by Democratic Governor Pat Quinn takes effect on July 1, Illinois will become the fourth state in the past two years to dispense with the death penalty after New York, New Jersey and New Mexico.
“To have a consistent, perfect death penalty system … that’s impossible in our state,” Quinn told reporters. “I think it’s the right and just thing to abolish the death penalty and punish those who commit heinous crimes — evil people — with life in prison without parole and no chance of release.”
The ultimate punishment will remain an option in 34 states and for federal inmates. No other Western democracies carries out executions.
Anybody catch that last line? We are the only Democratic nation in the West that puts people to death. That really jumps out at me. I’m sure folks will say that just means the other countries are soft, but does it?
Aside from that, here are my other reasons why we should abolish it across the board:
1. It’s not a deterrent for crime
If someone could show me that the possibility of getting the death penalty has stopped someone from committing murder (which is typically the level of crime that nets execution), then I may be open to changing my mind. I don’t believe the stats exist. People will still kill. They will still maim, assault, ect. The death penalty just isn’t something that sticks in the mind of someone about to do something bad.
2. It’s not necessary
Back in the old days, I’m sure that it was easier for criminals to escape from jail and go back to doing whatever it was they were doing in the first place. Now? Escape is a rare occurrence. The logic behind having a death penalty is to ensure that the criminal never gets back into the general population to become a menace again. You going to tell me sending someone to a supermax prison doesn’t do the same thing?
3. Its costly
I’m sure this reason may get dismissed out of hand, but do the research. It costs more for the state to pay for dealing with the appeals process involved with someone on death row than it does to actually house them as an inmate.
4. Its barbaric
Every time I hear “Death Penalty” and “closure” used in the same sentence, i cringe. I’m not ridiculing those who lose someone and feel the only way they can get closure is if the person responsible is put to death. No, I have a problem with the fact that no one has told them “an eye for an eye” doesn’t work. To put it bluntly, killing the murderer does not bring back that person’s loved one. Closure comes in accepting that that person is gone. As for “justice,” to me justice is making that murderer live the rest of their natural life knowing they no longer have freedom because of their crime.
I would be interested in hearing a case for the other side of this discussion. But under the circumstances given, other than “it’s justice,” I don’t forsee much coming from the other side in this.
Front and Center 