| Subject: Re: The Death Penalty – the most controversial of subjects |
Author:
JCayan
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Date Posted: 18:59:12 06/08/01 Fri
In reply to:
Angie
's message, "Re: The Death Penalty – the most controversial of subjects" on 16:25:00 06/07/01 Thu
I felt compelled to add my comments on this controversial thread. It is a topic that has been debated, denounced and supported for a good number of years. Since the start of the 21st century it was deemed as the ultimate answer and viable deterrent for criminals bent on committing heinous crimes against society. The death penalty is considered by most civilized nations as a cruel and inhuman punishment. It has been abolished by 106 nations and much to my dismay I live in one of those few nations that still practices it.
In recent years, the debate has been further fueled by the use of new technologies which have shown that a large proportion of people sentenced to death are, indeed, innocent. How is that we as an intelligent and compassionate society can overlook this factor, by defacto are we not committing the very same crime?
Between 1973 and 1993, at least 48 people on death row were released after they were found to be innocent, according to a Congressional subcommittee on civil and constitutional rights. In Texas in 1991, blacks made up 12 percent of the population, but 48 percent of the prison population and 55.5 percent of those on death row are black. We would like to believe that justice is blind, but in many cases nothing can be further from the truth
In January 1977, the first execution under the new death penalty laws took place in the United States ending the moratorium of capital punishment that began in 1967. Since that first execution sixteen years ago, 220 death sentences had been carried out. Among the methods of execution used to exterminate criminals since 1977, 106 were killed by electrocution, 103 by lethal injection, 9 by gas chamber, 1 by firing squad and 1 by hanging.
In theory, deterrence should establish credible threats of punishment, but the lack of evidence does not prove the effectiveness of deterrence in potential killers. Many politicians and advocates alike argue that the death sentence is an effective deterrent, virtually no criminologist agrees.
Today the popular vote according to all polls favor the death penalty by more than 60 %. The primary argument by all those in support of capital punishment is retribution. Almost all those in favor of capital punishment argue that execution of an offender gives comfort and support for the families of the homicide victims. Loss is sudden for these families and other victim's loved ones; they must cope with a tremendous shock as well as grief. Months and even years after the eventual death of the murderer, families of homicide victims may continue to suffer.
I believe, it is not necessary to kill someone as punishment because when the person is dead, you are not punishing him; you are punishing the people who love him. The families of condemned prisoners experience grief and loss in anticipation of eventual death. "They feel as helpless bystanders in a slow dying process that they know can be stopped". They must also cope with the knowledge that "their relatives' death is highly desired since homicide is nearly universally condemned".
As the great philosopher H. L. Hart wrote: "to take any life is to impose suffering not only on the criminal but also on many others. That is an evil to be justified only if some good end is achieved thereby that could not be achieved by any other mean".
In short, the retribution theory to me rings hollow and is of little worth or comfort for the pain. Only the passage of time, therapy and acceptance will allieve the suffering that is felt. And what of the families of the condemended man? Is it acceptable that they suffer? Can we honestly say to ourselves that it is an acceptable fact? What of those mother's and their pain, are they not entitiled to the same amount of retribution? Most importantly when does all of this maddnes stop? In retrospect the life of the criminal is terminated and still the room is littered with grief. The journey homeward for the family of the murdered victims or the condemend man is no easier or brighter than it was before. But only now there are more victims added to the list.
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