It is no question that the United States death penalty system brings about much controversy within the nation. David Keaton was wrongly sentenced to death in Florida until he was proven innocent, exonerated, and released free from prison. In responding to the justice system, his brother told Dateline,“Growing up black in this state, you know, you really didn’t have a chance when it came to a crime. You know, they say that justice is blind, but justice really isn’t blind.” Personally, even though I do not know what it is like to grow up black, I do not agree with the first sentence in Keaton's brother's statement. However, for the most part, I do agree with his second sentence since, psychologically, blacks are more noticed for crimes than whites are noticed for crimes. Since blacks are the minority in America, when they commit a crime it stands out more than when whites commit crimes. Plus, it has been proven that if two people, one white and one black, are holding an object such as a wallet or cell phone in their hand, one is more likely to think that the black person is holding a weapon and/or dangerous object. To skip straight to the point, I agree with the statement since I believe that the judicial system is not blind at all. In fact, our society is not blind. I believe that the majority of us all have "racism" lying within our subconscious, but not all of us bring out that racism. Therefore, even though it is unjust, I believe that the justice system does discriminate against race and socioeconomic class.
According to my Social Studies teacher, "There are currently over 3,000 men and women sentenced to death in the United States. Approximately 65 percent of American voters approve of the death penalty in states where capital punishment is legal" (Kramer). To be honest, I believe that the majority of American voters support the death penalty because they only explore the surface of the issue. I believe, that most Americans assume that the death penalty system is fair, and just, and that it only sentences truly guilty suspects to death. Of course, this is all my opinion, and I do not know for sure why the number of American voters that support capital punishment is so high. I feel that most Americans assume that if one is being punished to death, than he or she is truly guilty and must have committed a crime substantial enough for death. In addition, I feel that many Americans would think of the death penalty punishment as justice, and that it clearly exemplifies, "an eye for an eye". Overall, I feel that many American voters have not fully explored capital punishment's history, its controversies, and everything behind the law.
I can only imagine what the thoughts, emotions, and experiences that murder victims' families would encounter. I feel that if I were to be affected by the murder of a loved one, that my opinion would greatly change due to my new perspective. However, with the perspective that I have now, I think that I would want to encourage the victims' families to be the stronger individuals. Putting the murderer to death does not bring justice to their loved ones, but it only amplifies or disintegrates the pain of the victims' families. Just as their loved ones did not know when they were going to die, that should be the same for the murderer. He or she does not have the right to bring closure to his or her life with a set execution date. Furthermore, I feel that life imprisonment is the right choice for the murderer because it ensures the safety of society, and it also punishes the murderer; it forces him or her to live with his or her actions forever. In terms of the victims' families emotions playing a role in the decision, I feel that they should not have a part in the legal system. If religion is separated from the law, so should emotions. However, emotions are very hard to keep out of the law and out of legal decisions. It is emotions that feed our very morals which are the basis of this country. Overall, I feel that there is no definitive way to keep emotions out of the legal system. Plus, there is no perfect answer for the victims' family members. The death penalty, and the murder of a loved one, is simply a confusing and jumbled puzzle in our society. It is up to us Americans how we decide to unscramble the puzzle of the death penalty system.
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