Starting from about Sunday night on, I couldn't check a news website without seeing at least one or two headlines about the impending execution of John Allen Muhammad, or the "DC Sniper". From Sunday on, his minutes left of life were counted down like the seconds on my kitchen timer. And like rubber-necking passersby the new media documented the final days, hours and minutes left of this mans life. Who he talked to. Was he remorseful? What do his victims say? How is he going to die and how does it work? It was schadenfreud of broadcasting proportions.
I'm not here to debate his guilt or innocence. He was found guilty and based on what limited knowledge I have of any evidence against him he deserved that verdict and probably a few more just like it. He was a horrid man who did horrid things frighteningly close to where I now reside. I can't imagine how awful the weeks he was on the loose must have been for those around. It must have been truly terrifying.
I am here to stretch my own thoughts a bit on crime and punishment. I used to not care. Horrible people deserve horrible endings. Or do they? I am certainly not suggesting that criminals be given a slap on a hand and then set lose. Nor do I believe it is the duty of the criminal justice system to try to reform anyone (except perhaps juveniles, but that is a different blog). We live in a society with rules and when those rules are broken it is the criminal justice's responsibility to enforce a consequence. But to what extent?
As I watched the hours tick by (I mean, who can't? it's everywhere) I felt a little bad for this person. How horrible to know the exact second you are going to die. And with the whole world watching. Is this punishment or is this cruelty? Their is a difference, and cruelty shouldn't have any part in punishment.
So, I'm sorting it out in my mind. I am certainly glad this man is not threatening my community anymore, but I'm not exactly glad he's dead.
In conclusion, I have no conclusion. I'm still mulling it over. I'm sure this blog post will be torn apart by my lawyer husband, but that's part of the fun of being married to him. Having him debate me and then realize he's wrong. :)
I am curious as to your thoughts on the matter. How do you feel about capital punishment? Do you think it necessary or do you think it's out-dated and cruel? Inquiring minds want to know.
9 comments:
Skyler and I were talking about this last night. I LOVE forensics and I think I would be an awesome homicide detective. It seems creepy but homicide investigations intrigue me. BUT I had never thought about how I feel about the death penalty. Skyler thinks it is wrong, and believes in life in prison. I still dont know how I feel, I can see both sides. But skyler almost convinced me that murder is never right no matter what the circumstance. We can't justify stealing because someone stole from us, so how can we justify killing someone because they killed someone else.
Interesting topic. I personally don't like the death penalty, but I think that's different in "believing" in it. Too long to explain. I think he should be in solitary confinement for the rest of his natural life with only books and his thoughts as company. I'm mulling my thoughts over also, very interesting topic.
I had this debate before when John Albert Taylor chose death by firing squad in Utah. He was the last man to die that way and since Utah has changed to only offering lethal injection. There are only one or maybe two states that still have firing squad as a method still. At one point I do believe that the arugment that killing people who kill people to show that killing is wrong swayed me a bit. Whether or not murder is every right is a huge open ended question when you think of it in terms of abortion and assisted suicide. Anyhow, in the end I still believe in capital punishment. It is the only full closure victims of the families might get and it is the only way we ensure that the perpatrator is never released (rehabliltated) or escapes. It serves the public as a deterrent in our justice system, although I know there is no solid evidence to support it actually works. This same justice system imperfect as it is-is what we have chosen as a society to live "right" by. It is the ultimate price for committing a capital crime.
This is a tough one. I pretty much have said everything you said in your post in a discussion with my husband not too long ago.
I don't like it. I don't like wondering what that person is thinking as the clock ticks on (like you said). There's no easy answer on this one.
Keeping criminals in prison for 50 years is expensive. And there are quite a few inmates that have mental illnesses. (A little tangent.)
So, uh, I don't know. I don't like it. I guess I'm more with the camp that believes murder shouldn't be punishment for murder. The old "two wrongs don't make a right."
DKAZ's comment is interesting and makes some good points.
The death penalty is not cruel, at least not in the sense that term is used in the Eighth Amendment. A more interesting question is whether the criminal justice system can ever be certain enough that someone has committed a crime so as to justify the use of the death penalty. Recent use of DNA evidence to exculpate convicted felons suggests the answer may be no.
I'm not sure how I feel about the death penalty, but I do know how I feel about the sensationalizing of this event by the media. It is wrong and only serves to give the perpetrator another 15 minutes of fame. Why are we so drawn to the morbid and bizarre?
And what about those rare occasions where the lethal injection goes wrong... as extreme as that case recently where they couldn't find a good vein in this guy after several attempts and ended up sending him back to jail to heal up a bit before they could try again. I know that's extremely rare, but seems like cruel and unusual punishment to me.
It's expensive to keep people in jail for life, but what about the cost of sentencing, and performing, the death penalty? I think the latter often outweighs the former.
And I think the point Phil brings up is key: is it fair to bet someone's life on the soundness of the legal system? I don't think so.
There are my two, or I guess three, cents.
For a short but thoughtful examination, I recommend "Ultimate Punishment" by Scott Turow.
I used to be all for capitol punishment, but lately after studying a little bit of the old common law, I'm leaning away from it. Although I'm leaning away from it only if our justice system changes and makes the guilty work to make restitution to the victim. You can't pay back the family if you're dead. And rotting in jail making license plates while the very tax payers that lived in fear of you pay for your board doesn't seem right either. The criminal doesn't owe the state, it owes the victim. But our system doesn't run like that, so I guess I'm for it since it does make the world a little safer? I dunno. I think there should be a monetary price set for each crime and if it's murder than obviously it's set really high so the criminal has to work the rest of his days(under some sort of supervision) to pay for his crime, literally. Lots of kinks. Just my thoughts.
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