Trey Smith
Since as long as I can remember, I have been a staunch opponent of the death penalty. It simply never made sense to me to murder someone as a punishment for murder. If society contends that murder is immoral, then murder by the state is just as immoral as murder by a person. In fact, in my book, it's even worse.
I liken it to the parent who beats up one of their children for beating up a sibling or friend. That sends a very convoluted message. It says that beating up people is wrong...EXCEPT when the beating is administered by an authority figure (e.g., parent or government). So, if you like to beat up people, then what you learn is to become an authority figure, even if the only authority you actually hold is in your own mind.
I realize that many Americans don't view this issue the same way I do. They ascribe to the "eye for an eye" perspective. While I vehemently disagree, I would hope that each side could agree on one thing: there is a racist and class bias that permeates our justice system. Because of these two biases, the poor and, particularly, people of color are more likely to find themselves on death row than those who are not poor and white.
If you think the last assertion is a stretch, I challenge you to follow this link to an article in The Guardian about a man, Reggie Clemons, on Missouri's death row. Do you really think Clemons would be facing lethal injection if he was not black?
I fully agree and also like to add the point (attributed to ghandi?) that if we take the path of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" we result in a world of toothless blind people.
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