Is killing ever right? Have you ever pondered that questions? Maybe this week more than ever, I have given it some thought. I am profoundly against the death penalty, because I so strongly believe that killing is NOT right. Allowing the government to hide behind laws to justify killing someone, does not make it any more right. And the whole idea of killing someone who killed someone to teach others not to kill, does not quite make sense to me.
To quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
“I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
I am not talking about Osama Bin Laden. In war, there will obviously be casualties, and whether we chose to rejoice Bin Laden's death or not, I don't think there are anyone in America who does not believe the resent events were for the better for our country.
I do however, want to take a closer look at the practice of the death penalty in the U.S. In 2010, 46 executions took place in the U.S. with Texas and Ohio leading the way with 17 and eight executions. In all, twelve states performed executions in 2010, and I am certain, will continue to do so in 2011.
One case in particular, has caught my interest, and I think, shows so clearly what a broken system we have. The case of Troy Davis has surfaced in the news, and has been a focus of Amnesty International for the past few years. He was convicted of the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail in 1989, and has since faced three execution dates, and will soon face a fourth. However, the doubts about his guilt are not resolved, and the chances the State of Georgia will execute an innocent man seem quite real.
Troy Davis was convicted without a shred of physical evidence. His conviction is based on witness testimony only. Seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their testimony, several stating that they were pressured and coerced by the police to make the statements. However, where their credibility was good enough to convict him, their lack of credibility was brought up in the ruling against him at a special evidentiary hearing last summer. The Supreme Court has rejected hearing his appeal on that ruling. You can find more details on the current status of his case here.
Whether you agree with the death penalty or not, I hope we can all agree that the person's guilt has to be proven beyond any reasonable doubt. In this case, there is nothing but doubt, and I hope you will join me in signing Amnesty International's petition to stop the execution of Troy Davis until all doubt about his guilt has been resolved. You can find the petition here.
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