That’s why I’m ultimately against the Death Penalty. I am for it in principal, but in reality it’s just another badly administered government program. With prosecutors it’s never about your guilt or innocence. It’s about their political career and whether they have a high enough conviction rate to make the next step up the political ladder.
Which is why they always push for a plea and are hesitant to talk about the actual particulars in a sentence. For example, if they get a plea and they push for a 10, serve 3, sentence.
On paper, it’s a 10 year sentence. They’ll only have to do, 3 years. And, will get time off for staying out of trouble.
Wow! Another conservative who agrees with me on the death penalty.
My reasons for being against it (in no particular order).
1. When the government has the power to put us to death, a corrupt government will use that power in a corrupt way. (Related: When the government has the power to tax, a corrupt government will use that power in a corrupt way. Observe all the abuse by the IRS against tea partiers and other conservatives and tax laws designed to *punish* the rich.) Imagine Hillary as President pointing the finger at all her enemies and shouting “treason”! Far-fetched? I think not. And if Hillary isn’t sufficiently evil, eventually someone will come along who is. (For the record, I think she’s sufficiently evil.) And it’s not just the President. There are corrupt local governments scattered all over the country.
2. I think there are people who deserve not only the death penalty, but much worse. But none of us are God. None of us are perfect enough that we should be meting out death as punishment.
3. The possibility of an error. It’s tragic when a man goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. It’s beyond tragic when a man is put to death for a crime he didn’t commit.
4. I think the act of putting someone to death would be scarring for the executioner. Unless the executioner is already seriously scarred. I would hate to have to live with the knowledge that I had done that. (Related: Many women who’ve had abortions have deep regrets and mental trauma, even those who didn’t/don’t regard the fetus as “human”.)
Thanks for your post.