Yesterday was a sad day in America. Two more people were executed. What a shame. A shame on us.
The death penalty is a human rights issue, not a penal issue. It does not deter crime, it targets mainly those who cannot afford a decent lawyer, and by reliable and verifiable accounts (note the work of the Innocence Project in New York) often gets the wrong man. The high execution rate in America belies its history of respect for individual rights, in particular, and its role as a world leader in the protection of human rights, in general.
There is just no case worth it. The justice system is not fool proof. Mistakes are made. So why continue with a sentence that is irrevocable and, when based on a mistake, tragic?
America's adherence to the death penalty defines the country in an unfortunate way to the rest of the world. It is long past time for it to end.
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