From the Archives: The Death Penalty

The death penalty is a deservedly hot button issue these days. The masses overwhelmingly approve of it, though by a lesser margin than 30 years ago. I disapprove of it for four reasons, which I’ll detail in order of importance.

First and foremost, there is the omnipresent risk that an innocent man could get executed. When considering a death sentence is the prosecutorial equivalent of a grand slam, I believe there is a high probability that the risk of wrongful execution gets arbitraged away amidst a flurry of rationalization, justification and ambition on the part of the prosecutor. This presents a clear conflict of interest.

Secondly, the evidence that indicates the death penalty is a deterrence to future would-be capital murderers (or the few other crimes that potentially elicit the death penalty) is just as spotty as the evidence that indicates it is not a successful deterrence (according to all the literature I’ve read on the subject). However, to me, common sense dictates that it would only successfully deter rational men. So, ask yourself, are men always rational? Are you always rational?

Next, we must consider personal accountability, and whether or not death is truly the ultimate punishment (much less what it says about a society that condones, facilitates and executes—no pun intended—it). I think that, in truth, it misallocates the punishment. My belief (which was formulated in observance of many of those around me, right here, right now) is that the truly miserable wretch—which one must be in order to, with cool malice and cold intent, commit such an atrocity deserving of an “ultimate penalty”—is punished far more by being forced—not simply allowed—to remain alive in a small cell for the rest of his natural life.

No women around, so he can masturbate his reality away. No inmates around, so he can socialize reality away. Just himself and books, so he can crumple under the intense weight of his worst enemy—awareness.

On the other side of the token, his family and victims, in their own right, suffer profoundly as a result of his execution. With his remaining alive, their suffering will rightfully ease. The victim’s family, however, unquestionably has an emotional stake in what transpires, but it’s my heartfelt belief that given the logic of my arguments, they’ll agree that life without parole is the more fitting and noble punishment.

Lastly, the economic perspective heavily favors life without parole. Housing a death row inmate runs $1.2 million a year, for what can run many, many years. Housing a lifer runs $40K a year.

I hope and pray that these arguments were clear and concise enough to effectively assist you in coming to terms with such a weighty issue.