In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that the Death Penalty was "cruel and unusual punishment" violating the 8th amendment because juries impose sentences arbitrarily. (PBS.org). Evidence shows that race remains a factor in Death Penalty cases, mainly considering the race of the victim. There have even been studies to determine this factor. In a 1990 report released by the federal government's General Accountability Office found a "pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the charging, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty after the Fuhrman decision." In Florida a defendant is 5 times more likely to receive, the Death Penalty if the victim was white compared to their black counter parts in similarly cases. In Kentucky (as of 1996), 100% of death row inmates was convicted of murdering a white victim.
(GGAO.Gov). How could one persons death mean more than another persons could? As I was researching this I could not help but thinking about how my life measures up. The inequality of the Death Penalty is inexcusable.
Living in a country that feels it has a duty to help the world be a part of civilization, you would think there would be a better reason for people to support the Death Penalty than The death penalty is a deterrent to capital crime. Looking at some factors for murder it seems that deterrents are often not considered. In the case of premeditated crime, the murder has a plan that he feels he will get away with. In the case of crimes of passion, the murderer is in the heat of passion and does not consider any punishment. In the case of insanity, the murderer is insane and uncertain of his actions. When considering the amount of rage that goes into killing another human being, it is difficult to think of a scenario that would allow the murderer to consider the Death Penalty as a deterrent. Canada abolished the Death Penalty in 1975 with no increase in murders. In fact, as of 1993 there was a reported 27% decrease in murders.
The United States needs to look at who the victims of murder really are. If someone is murdered, he or she no longer has to deal with the horrible circumstances of their death. The real victims are the family of the murdered. A love for a son, daughter, mother, or father is unconditional and the pain of that loss is immeasurable. Then why is the penalty of someone who causes pain (the murderer) inflicting that same pain on someone who is innocent and loves his or her family unconditionally (the murders family) by imposing the Death Penalty. As for the family of the murdered, whose life should they take for being the senseless target for revenge? The only reason that murder is considered such an unspeakable crime is because of the great pain it causes to the loved ones of the victim. Are we not seeking justice for, the people that truly left with the pain of the death?
Though I can only imagine the pain that a family member or friend feels when someone they love is stolen by a horrible murder, but the United States Criminal Justice system is too flawed to decide who lives or dies. Our country should not be associated with the barbaric practice of the Death Penalty, after all Afghanistan, Libya, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, and Iraq are some of the countries that share our views on the Death Penalty. The Death Penalty is wrong and I cannot find one advantage. Is the United States the hero for all mistreated people around the world, or do we treat our citizens lives with the same disregard as the governments of the people we are trying to save? In an ideal world, murder would not be a factor, but in the world we live in it is, now it is up to us to figure out the most intelligent way to deal with it. Can two wrongs make a right?
