Is the Death Knell of the Death Penalty Anon?

Another state has added itself to the growing list of those who have either outlawed or are longing putting people to death. This time it is the Governor of Washington, Democrat Jay Inslee, who announced that no more executions will occur on his watch (NYT). Citing problems with the system and potential fallibility, including the fact that half the recent death sentences in the state have been reversed, he joined democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber of Oregon and Gov. Hickenlooper of Colorado in suspending the death penalty in their states.

The death penalty is still legal in the majority of states, although 18 have now outlawed it, with six of those in the past six years alone. And for some, simply ending the practice is easier than changing the law – though this opens the door for a reversal in policy with a new administration. Overall, both death sentences and executions are down more than 60 percent from their peak in the 1990s. Not surprisingly, the ranking Republican in the Washington House of Representatives decried the decision, claiming it should go through the democratic process and that “justice should, basically, not be put on hiatus.”

Yet, as I have mentioned in previous posts, this should be good news to anyone who explores the death penalty in detail. Among the arguments against its use include: 1. Cost: it costs more to kill someone than to have them institutionalized for their rest of their lives (Death Penalty Info.org), 2. Potential for Error: the potential to kill someone who is innocent, as may have been the case in Texas with the execution of Cameron Too Willingham (The New Yorker), 3. Cruel and Unusual Punishment: recent evidence has suggested that executions are not nearly as painless as we think, beyond the obvious fact that knowing the exact moment of your death is cruel and unusual in and of itself (The New York Times), 4. Not a Deterrent: there has never been a reliable and valid study that has shown any significant deterrence effect related to the presence of the death penalty in a given state (Death Penalty Info.org). 5. Racism in Justice System: the U.S. system has always had a tendency to give death sentences to black men at a substantially higher rate, including for questionable rape charges against white women. The data is clear and this is just a symptom of the larger problem of racism in our justice system (Huff Post), 6. Excessive Government Power: In a country where we fear tyranny and too much government intervention in our lives, I have always been surprised by the argument among conservatives for giving this ultimate power to the state. If we don’t trust the government to fix our economy, regulate commerce and corporations, redistribute taxes, manage our healthcare, education or retirement, protect workers or even regulate gun ownership, how can we give them the ultimate power to end lives? 7. Not a Salve to Victim Families: a number of studies have been done that find that families of victims do not get relief from the execution of the murderer, and sometimes feel worse, (PBS Frontline) and 8. Civilization: we are the only developed country in the world, and one of the few democracies, to still utilize the death penalty.

The death penalty is an embarrassment and serious miscarriage of justice and should be ceased immediately.