A Sad Milestone

This week could be marked by a tragic milestone in American justice: the execution of the 1,000 inmate since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. There really is no argument for the efficacy or efficiency of the death penalty. It costs far more (because of the lengthy appeals process designed to avoid the execution of innocent people) than life sentences without parole, it is not flawless and its punishment is irreversible if an executed person is later found innocent. It also is racially skewed. The most likely person on death row is a minority, particularly one who has killed a white person. Furthermore, low income people are much more likely to be sentenced to death than those with more income who are able to acquire better legal defense. Even without the problems in the implementation of the death penalty, there is a larger reason not to execute criminals: it puts us in a very small club of developed nations with capital punishment. It is not an effective deterrent, is expensive, is cruel, is enforced with a racial bias and it is irreversible. Enough already, the death penalty should be eliminated.