Killing the Killer
The death penalty, in the United States, dates all the way back to 1608, however is still the talk at the beginning of 2022. After an individual is convicted by a court of law, under certain circumstances, an offender may be executed; this offense is considered capital punishment or may also be referred to as the death penalty. Throughout the United States, every state views the legalization of the death penalty differently. 1986 was the last time our court system decided to address the legalization of a life-changing and unfair law. Death row has been filled year after year with criminals and murders but also innocent civilians. It is our job to protect our loved ones, however unfair punishment that is nonreversible should not be the solution for our grieving. This would only be successful if we completely abolish the death penalty.
Many everyday citizens and leaders in our government argue that capital punishment should be looked upon as “preserving law and order, deterring crime, and costs less than life impressment.” After the US Supreme Court Ruling in 1977, most death penalty cases have pertained to the execution of those convicted of murder themselves. The retribution or “eye for an eye” mindset should not be the way we teach our country to grieve with pain or misfortune in our lives.
Not only does the morality of killing a killer not seem right, neither does killing an innocent man or woman who didn’t deserve to be put to death. This was significant in the South Carolina Penitentiary where George Stinney’s life was taken by the electric chair at the age of 14 while sitting on a book because the straps wouldn’t fit his arms properly. However, years later in January of 2014, after three of George’s surviving siblings stood up for George, the judge found Goerge Stinney was “deprived of due process throughout the proceedings against him, he can simply not be sad to be known and voluntary, and that the court-appointed attorney did little to nothing to defend Goerge.”
Not only must we protect the rights of these individuals, but we are able to benefit from abolishing the death penalty financially as well. A study according to the state of Kansas showed that the death penalty case through execution costs around 1.26 million dollars. While non-death penalty cases had a median case cost of around $740,000. Our government could save a tremendous amount of money just by saving a life.
Our court system may not be perfect, however, it can not risk the life of an individual and should protect them instead. This could be solved by completely abolishing capital punishment from our courtrooms. Our government has the job of protecting the people of the United States, and with the death penalty abolished across the nation, it’s a step in the right direction.
Sources:
https://eji.org/news/george-stinney-exonerated/
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/#:~:text=Reasons%20to%20abolish%20the%20death%20penalty&text=Execution%20is%20the%20ultimate%2C%20irrevocable,row%20on%20grounds%20of%20innocence.
Riley Hepler, Grade 12. Interests/hobbies include soccer, babysitting, Key Club, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Riley has possibly...
