Capital Punishment...its not Justice, Its Revenge

Capital Punishment is barbaric, immoral in principle, unfair and shows prejudice in our government. Capital Punishment, referred to as the Death Penalty, is unconstitutional. From 1972 to 1976, capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, stating that it was cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment (Death Penalty Information Center, 1998). No other human should have the choice to end another’s life. It is unjust, unfair, and inhumane.

Capital Punishment is significantly influenced by race. “Even under the most sophisticated death penalty statues, race continues to play a major role in determining who shall live and who shall die,” stated by Justice Harry Blackmun (Death Penalty Information Center, 2008).

Studies show that individuals committing crime against Caucasian or white people are more likely to be convicted to death penalty than those who committed crime against African American individuals. The Chief District Attorneys around the country, who make the decision whether to convict capital punishment and use the Death Penalty, are almost 98% white, while only 1% are African-American (Death Penalty Information Center, 1998). By stating this, we are not only violating the Eighth amendment, we are violating the Fourteenth amendment which summarizes, “Anyone born or naturalized in the United States is a citizen. All citizens are entitled to due process (basic fairness), according to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Laws must be enacted and enforced in a way that treats people equally” (Encarta Encylopedia, 1868). If we do not engage in a fair justice system, we cannot constitute fair decisions for offenders upon race.

Capital Punishment is bias based on class and economic status. Offenders who are able to afford high-priced lawyers are more likely to escape execution. It is commonly known that money equals power. When you are wealthy it is easier to find the best lawyers who know the law inside and out, these lawyers know the angles to any given situation and get paid to find loopholes in the justice system. Individuals who are poor have to depend on Public Counsel who are unqualified and lack the ability needed to defend these individuals.

A common misconception is it is more expensive for a prisoner to be sentenced to life than to be marked for the death penalty. The death penalty is very costly and exhausts money from the state that could be utilized for education and social programs. According to a report by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (2004), ”Death penalty trials cost an average of 48% more than the average costs of trails in which prosecutors seek life imprisonment” (Death Penalty Information Center, 2008). The fact that it costs more to the state to prosecute the death penalty than life in prison is another reason to oppose Capital Punishment.

Although some would like to think otherwise, there is no evidence that the death penalty deters crime. In fact, “when comparisons are made between states with the death penalty and states without, the majority of death penalty states show murder rates higher than non-death penalty states” (Death Penalty Information Center, 2008). The issue of deterrence has been examined extensively and all evidence shows that capital punishment does not prevent murder or make us more secure.

Capital punishement serves no purpose for the American people; it only bleeds the state funds and budgets dry. Innocent people have been accused and executed. Death penalty discriminates on the basis of race and socioeconomic status. Capital punishment is a violation of human rights and abuse of government and state authority. No one should be able to make a decision to end another human-beings life.


References:

Constitution. (n.d.) In Encarta Encylopedia. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569008/Constitution_of_the_United_States.html#p331

Death Penalty Information Center. (2008). Deterrence: States Without the Death Penalty Have Had Consistently Lower Murder Rates. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-had-consistently-lower-murder-rates

Death Penalty Information Center. (1998). The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides. Retrieved January 18, 2009 from
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-penalty-black-and-white-who-lives-who-dies-who-decides

Death Penalty Information Center. (2008). Costs of the Death Penalty. Retrieved January 15, 2009. From http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty

Death Penalty Information Center. (2008). Arbitrariness. Retrieved January 18, 2009. from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/arbitrariness