Kill the Death Penalty

"Kill, kill, kill."  Turns out, the NFL and capital punishment have a similar war-cry.

In the NFL, teams frequently use the term "kill, kill, kill" to audible different plays on the field as a means of strategy.  In the U.S. government, however, "kill, kill, kill" has been the bread-and-butter play call 1,268 times, every single time resulting in a "perfect" execution.

The Sept. 21 execution of Troy Davis has sparked all kinds of controversy, most of them questions concerning whether Davis was guilty and deserving of receiving the death penalty.  The fact that the man is now dead and there were prior questions regarding his guilt immediately grabbed my attention.

I did some general research on the death penalty itself and came across some alarming facts, mostly all of them opposing the death penalty, much like myself.

The society we live in today is surrounded by death; whether it be from cancer, suicide, heart failure, murder, natural causes, or serving our hypocritical country, death is everywhere.  And what better way to "kill" this enormity of death than to continue with the use of capital punishment.

There are various issues with capital punishment, to say the least.  All of them, to me, are complete BS and give no legitimate reason to why the death penalty is installed in our legal system.

The first issue, to me, is baffling.  With the economic crisis we are struggling with, it would seem to me our government would be, let's say, economically sensitive.  According to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, "the cost from start to finish in a single death penalty case can be as high as $7 million, while it's only estimated to be around $500,000 in cases resulting in life imprisonment."

More importantly, "the millions of dollars spent on capital punishment cuts into resources for other community interests, such as schools, hospitals, public safety, and jobs."  Well, it doesn't surprise me that tax dollars are feeding our bloodthirsty bodies rather than building better schools or funding medical care.

The next issue addresses the notion that capital punishment restores social order and peace of mind within the community.  Well, according to the NCADP, "many countries are able to preserve social order and maintain public confidence without using the death penalty, such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Also, these countries generally have lower murder rates than does the United States."

In addition, "many American states do not have the death penalty, including Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.  Also these states generally have lower murder rates than do states with the death penalty."  Out of all those countries listed it would seem that us Americans, us proud, honorable, brave Americans would take a stand to end capital punishment.

Thirdly, like the case with Troy Davis, are these people truly guilty?  And even if they are guilty, are they receiving a fair sentence?  Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post seems to believe that the government is a little quick to pull the plug.  "Our barbaric practice of capital punishment, premeditated and coldblooded, is, since we're in a biblical mood, an abomination. That we grant the state the power to end a citizen's life is a harrowing-enough thought. That we do so even when we know with certainty that sometimes innocents are killed is beyond comprehension."  The NCADP adds that, "at least 138 people have been exonerated from death row since 1973, including 23 from Florida alone."  So much for "life," liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

With all of these oppositions to the death penalty, it must be noted that losing a family member or friend is not something to be overlooked.  Our innate human response to death is anger, frustration, and sadness.  However, as difficult as it may seem, there has to be a better alternative.  The instant gratification or release of pain by avenging the death of a loved one is temporary.  The want to take someone's life, even if proven guilty, is everlasting and ongoing.

As the late Mohandas Gandhi said, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." 

There is nothing positive that comes from capital punishment, unless you own a cemetery. Continual death undermines our existence on earth and our freedom to live out a positive life.  It is so hypocritical for our nation, a nation that believes in freedom, second chances, and happiness to continuously carry out the death penalty.  Yes, they're guilty, we get it, but put them in prison, don't put them in hell.  All we do by killing these people is add to our already aggressive and violent nature.

I understand that there are varying degrees of criminals in our world, and some crimes would, on paper, warrant someone to be killed. However, killing someone is unnatural, it's inhuman, and it's not our purpose, nor should it be.  Without life, there is nothing, plain and simple.

Death is, and never should be the answer, especially in regards to our very own species.

"Live, live, live."