Capital Punishment

I am against the death penalty. My reasons include the fact that sometimes it is applied arbitrarily. Sometimes it is applied without due process. Sometimes it is applied due to racial bias.

I realize that many people disagree with me on this, and I respect that. My best friend and I have had some of our most passionate arguments over the death penalty. We have agreed to disagree.

One week ago today, Walter Scott, a fifty year old Black man was summarily executed in North Charleston, South Carolina. His obvious crime was failing to cooperate with a police officer. He was shot in the back eight times. He was unarmed. The executioner was Michael Slager, a police officer.

On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an 18-year old Black man was executed in Ferguson, Missouri. His crime was allegedly shop-lifting and walking in the middle of the street. Twelve shots were fired at Brown. He was unarmed. The executioner was Darren Wilson, a police officer.

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner, a 43-year old Black man was executed in Staten Island, New York City. His crime was selling cigarettes without a license. He was choked to death. He was unarmed. The executioner was Daniel Pantaleo, a police officer.

In the case of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, local authorities were not forthcoming with information about what happened and what was being done about it. The result was public anger, large-scale protests and demonstrations, and in the case of Brown, additional violence. Tensions were exacerbated when grand juries refused to indict the executioners.

In the case of Walter Scott, the authorities in South Carolina are to be commended for doing the right thing, and doing it quickly. The executioner was arrested, put in jail, and charged with murder. There will be a public trial. A jury composed of the citizens of North Charleston will decide on Michael Slager’s guilt or innocence. That is as it should be, in the United States of America. As a result, there were no widespread protests or subsequent violence in North Charleston. That is all that people anywhere really want, justice for all.

The sad reality is that the vast majority of death penalty victims in the United States are Black men summarily executed on the streets of the United States without any due process of law. No lawyer, no trial, no jury, and no chance for any last minute confession or penance.

For those that do make it to court, the results are grim and unquestionably racially biased.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1973, 152 people that were on death row waiting to die have been exonerated and released. Of those exonerated and released, 79 (52%) were Black.

 Since 1976, 76% of the victims in death penalty cases were white. Only 15% of the victims were Black.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not a pacifist. If someone tried to harm my family I would defend my family to the death. But, for the crime of murder, I believe that a long life in prison, in solitary confinement, with hard labor whenever you did see the sun, is more of a punishment than death. Many religions (including my own) teaches that forgiveness is available to all. What happens to the mass murderer that confesses his sins on death row, has a religious conversion, and is then killed? Will he go to heaven?

Death is an end, inevitable and as egalitarian as anything in life. It is not a punishment. The tragedy of the premature, unnecessary death is undeniably real and can bring about incredible grief for family and friends. But we find comfort and solace in our religious beliefs, confident that there is “a better place”. Why would we think that sending a murderer to that “better place” sooner than later is punishment?

Who would bear the responsibility if the 152 people that would have died at the behest of the government since 1973 had not been cleared of their alleged crime?

Who bears responsibility for those that were innocent but were not cleared and died anyway?

We have a responsibility, as individuals, and as a society to protect our lives, property, and institutions from those that would damage or destroy them. To remove those individuals from the society is just, and allows us to correct the human errors that we will surely make.

To kill them is barbaric, uncivilized, and non-correctable.

It doesn’t matter if you are in the courtroom, or on the streets of North Charleston, New York, or Ferguson.