Capital Punishment Punishes Everyone

I vehemently believe that there is never a reason for capital punishment. Any time we reduce the value of life by killing someone, no matter how much we think that person might "deserve" to be executed, we reduce the value of life for everyone. Of course it's true that we give murderers who wind up on death row more leeway than they gave their victims, but what's the alternative? A return to lynch mobs? And, what if we're wrong?

What if Troy Davis was actually innocent, as he proclaimed all along? Last week, when his final plea was rejected, the state of Georgia went ahead with the lethal injection that took his life. Despite the lack of physical evidence, police coercion, and recanting by seven out of nine witnesses of their original testimony, Georgia had no "reasonable doubt" upon which to grant a stay of execution. It takes a unique type of certainty to know that someone deserves to be killed, even in the face of alternate possibilities as to that person's guilt.

Where in this travesty was justice? Blindfolded, certainly. Color blind? Not at all. A black man's life is still seen as basically worthless in Georgia. And how about Texas? Governor and presidential hopeful Rick Perry has presided over more executions than any governor in modern history, and his constituents shout for joy. What is there to cheer about?

Why can't we ever seem to learn the truth of that old saying: An eye for eye makes everyone blind. What we do to another, we do to ourselves. Those who murder another person, whether out of jealous rage, drunken stupidity, or deliberate planning, will all reap their just rewards somewhere along their karmic path. In the meantime, we can keep them from hurting anyone else with a lifetime of lock-up, certainly punishment enough to satisfy anyone's need for revenge. We have successfully, for the most part, outlawed lynching, yet we still leave life-and-death decisions to a judge and a jury that may be committed to being "tough on crime" and prejudiced enough to order the death of a black man when they would stop to think twice about it if he were white.

We all lose when our system of justice is unjust, when politics and prejudice rule over basic humanity and our inherent oneness. That's the conclusion that a number of Supreme Court justices finally came to, as Justice Harry Blackmun said in 1994, that he would "no longer tinker with the machinery of death" because "the death penalty experiment has failed."

The death penalty has not only failed to meet any "reasonable" concept of justice, but it has also failed to make us better human beings; we will stand tall only when we abolish it.

 

Follow Deborah King on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Deborah_King

Comments

[ALIson2]

02:15 PM on 09/27/2011

Capital punishment is at the height of injustice! Not only does it devalue human life, but it's never been proven to be effective to further prevent crime. What a shame!

[hotone]

12:34 PM on 09/27/2011

There is an excellent article by Sister Helen Prejean, "Would Jesus pull the switch?" at http://salt.claretianpubs.org/issues/deathp/prejean.html. She is the author of "Dead Man Walking" and a tireless advocate of getting rid of the death penalty. Deborah, keep pushing people to wake up and do something about this crime against humanity.

[Deborah King]

09:49 PM on 09/29/2011

Sister Helen is indeed tireless on this subject; thanks for bringing her to our attention.

[John Kintha]

03:55 AM on 09/27/2011

Ted Bundy becomes a Christian in his last days --- http://www.pureintimacy.org/piArticles/A000000433.cfm
Tookie Williams nominated for Nobel peace price while death row-- http://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=1377890
And there are many more of these stories... BUT some may question, how can we confirm these changes... are they real, how can we trust them?? Well, this same question can be asked of the human Judges we appoint on courts, the cops we open our doors to... The point is people could change, switch or manipulate ... thats a possibility BUT its a Godly attribute to show mercy and grace and forgiveness... but unfortunately We humans have a hardtime relating to this Godly character... so we keep the CP going forward to please our selves, to please the society we have created.

[Deborah King]

09:48 PM on 09/29/2011

Thanks so much for commenting, John, very helpful.

[Riven]

11:45 PM on 09/26/2011

On the Diane Rehm Show last week, I heard that the death penalty may be dying a natural death since cases in which prosecutors sought it but juries reject it are down by two-thirds. When given the option of life without parole, juries almost always choose LWOP.

I take heart from the recent end of DADT, which shows the power of public opinion to effect a change in the law. As more and more Americans--and especially more jurors--become opposed to the death penalty, the chances increase that our country will join other civilized nations and abolish it altogether.

[Deborah King]

03:39 AM on 09/27/2011

That would be wonderful, Diane. It would show a real increase of consciousness on our part.

[Susan M Sabella]

04:22 PM on 09/26/2011

Hello Deborah, I couldn't agree more with your post. I signed two separate petitions, one from change.org and the other with NAACP and could not believe that despite over 250,000 signatures with just change.org alone as well as other organizations who i'm sure got just as many signatures if not more that Troy Davis was still executed.

I was shocked and mortified that the voice of the people couldn't sway the decision not to execute Troy.

It is my wish that Troy Davis does not die in vain, that his execution starts the demise of the Death Penalty.

[Susan M Sabella]

07:04 PM on 09/26/2011

Please sign this petition to stop the Death Penalty, thank you!

http://action.naacp.org/page/s/troy-davis-pledge?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=NAACP&utm_campaign=20110926troydavispledge&source=20110926troydavispledge

[Riven]

11:49 PM on 09/26/2011

Done. Thank you for the link.

[Deborah King]

03:38 AM on 09/27/2011

Thanks for the link, Susan, we appreciate your work in this regard!

[cisco1]

04:01 PM on 09/26/2011

Thank you for your opinion, to which I agree: "two wrongs don't make a right" - life is a precious gift.
I suppose the families of the victims may not agree?

[Deborah King]

03:37 AM on 09/27/2011

I'm convinced that families of victims will be helped by life without possibility of parole: earlier closure.

[BarbaraSinclair]

02:29 PM on 09/26/2011

Deborah - Thank you for weighing in so eloquently on this issue. Even as a child I remember asking the question "If it's wrong to kill someone than how can it be okay to punish that person by killing them." It seemed so simple to me then and my position has never changed. Not to mention the travesty of killing someone who may be innocent.

[Kevin Walters]

03:43 PM on 09/26/2011

There are some things that a "time out" does not accomadate...murder is one of them.....

[Deborah King]

03:35 AM on 09/27/2011

I'm not quite sure what you mean?

[Deborah King]

03:36 AM on 09/27/2011

Children can be so wise - thank you Barbara!

[hotone]

09:25 AM on 09/26/2011

Capital punishment is just plain wrong. Yet I've been asked by others, if I don't believe in taking a life (especially when that person may be innocent), why do I feel that abortion is okay in many instances? And although I am anti-war--more people killing other people--I'm still glad Hitler was stopped. It's not all black and white, for sure. Only a higher level of consciousness, raising the awareness of the whole world, will stop us from killing each other.

[Deborah King]

10:05 AM on 09/26/2011

Yes, it is difficult to reconcile our positions; thanks for pointing that out.

[Melanee Carmella Packard]

08:36 AM on 09/26/2011

Years ago I was a HUGE supporter of the death penalty; my best friend and her husband were brutally murdered in front of their daughter, whom was only a toddler. I wanted him dead; for what he did to their family, their loved ones and for taking her away from me. After finding my way to Hay House and 'meeting' a number of people that helped me to change my life *thank you, Deborah* I no longer support taking the life of another. I agree with you, Deborah, 100%. This world will never improve it's state of violence and discontent as long as humans continue to rely on violence as a way to solve the problems in our society. Thank you for sharing this article with us so that we can share it with others. Love and light.

[Deborah King]

10:04 AM on 09/26/2011

Thanks so much for sharing your own journey, Melanee, very helpful.

[Marianne07]

07:57 AM on 09/26/2011

Deborah, this is such a powerful post... Thank you so much! I've never understood the logic behind killing somebody to teach that killing is wrong + the possibility of assassinating innocents is so unbearable! It's high time to stop this cruel and inhuman practice... Sending blessings to people directly affected by it... Senami

[Deborah King]

08:35 AM on 09/26/2011

Thanks for your thoughts, Marianne!

[jmoser1973]

07:22 AM on 09/26/2011

Capital punishment is state government's way of showing who is boss. Our judicial system is so screwed up. It isn't right that I can kill someone in one state and get life in jail, but in another state get the death penalty. Putting someone to death is the easy way out. I know that if i was given a choice of spending life in jail or being put to death, I would think death without question. These people who commit murder do not value life so its no big deal for them if you kill them. Rick Perry is just a modern day cowboy wannabe who takes pride in the death penalty, but yet calls himself a Christian. I don't think we stopped using old methods of the death penalty, like the electric chair, because they were inhumane. I believe they took it away so they wouldn't have to feel bad for what they were doing by watching the criminal suffer. Injecting them lets them go quietly so the people who perform it can sleep at night. I bet you that judge in Georgia is snoring his head off.

[John Kintha]

02:33 AM on 09/26/2011

Now though I may look like I'm leaning more pro-CP, I am still not a 100% fan of the current program of CP becuz the legal system seemed to have too many loop-holes and failures, so the rich seemed to get away from CP (or harsh punishments) just by hiring gang of high-powered lawyers and only the poor (or the ignorant) seemed to get the harshest punishments under this system. And thats a failed system! Under this type of system, CP is not a fair tool to keep order or set an example to the society.
Modern Humans (Judge /Jury/cops/investigators) shouldn't have too much control over another human's life.. especially in this modern day world we live-in where moral standards cannot be even defined properly, and everything seemed to be relativism.

And the whole "lethal injection" practice/concept is really a joke in comparison to the traditional usage.. doesn't really serve the purpose.. its like the guy sips a nice warm juice, and takes a very looooong nap... no pain at all. So does this type of death really equals to 2++ people he brutally murdered by spraying with bullets or how about chopping their heads-off or rapped or mutilated their bodies or even buried alive, etc??
One thing I can assure is that, if anyone come to hurt my family, I won't have any issue of using "instant" Capital punishment... in self defense ofcourse. :)

[Deborah King]

08:33 AM on 09/26/2011

The problem, John, is that when we presume to take the life of another, we reduce the value of life for all of us. That makes it more likely, not less, that someone might hurt a member of your family. If, on the other hand, as a society we hold the value of life as high as Jesus did, we set an example for others that they will follow. Experiments have been conducted that establish that if enough people in a certain radius meditate or pray for a given time, the crime rate decreases. That's the kind of program that deserves our tax dollars, not a program of execution that accomplishes nothing of value.

[Kevin Walters]

03:49 PM on 09/26/2011

When we all become "Christ like", then we should eliminate the Death Penalty, till then as a society, we should enforce it as prescribed by the laws of our society. It is not a "punishment", it simply eliminates those who purposely thumb their noses at the humanity of others, then appeal to that same humanity to save themselves.

[John Kintha]

02:28 AM on 09/26/2011

Also in the last book of scriptures explains - "If any one is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if any one kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints." (Revelation 13:10).

[John Kintha]

02:26 AM on 09/26/2011

I stay neutral on this issue... bcuz capitol punishment was originally established to set an example to the general public that everyone would receive the ultimate punishment for their heinous crimes. According to the Biblical scriptures ---in the old testament, its clear that CP was acceptable... Ex. 21:23 - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.. (more references - Numbers 35:30-34, Lev. 20:13, Lev. 20:11-12 & 14, ) This was to set high standards of Moral order.

But in New Testament - Jesus seemed to be taking a different stance under the new covenant... He said - "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matt 5:38-39)'

... however Jesus seemed to accept CP on the cross by confirming & granting eternal life to only 1 thief while hanging on the cross, the one who admitted to his crimes... (Luke 23:40-41).
Also one of main new testament spiritual giants, Paul states "But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for [the government] does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil" (Romans 13:4).

[jmoser1973]

06:52 AM on 09/26/2011

Capital punishment was put in place to set an example to the general public like you said, but that only worked when people feared the law and cherished life. It really doesn't serve that purpose anymore because our no moral criminals could care less.

[Deborah King]

08:26 AM on 09/26/2011

John, those are excellent references from Scripture, thank you for bringing them to our discussion. However, I would interpret the demise of the men who shared death on the cross with Jesus at Golgatha a little differently: while Jesus noted that that the man who repented his crimes would have eternal life, he didn't condone the killing of any of them. Jesus believed in the power of love; he would want forgiveness and an opportunity for redemption for every killer.

[plex]

01:40 AM on 09/26/2011

Deborah ... once again an incredibly on point and insightful blog and completely respect your angle.