This is Kenjuan Congo, Jr. calling from a prison camp behind enemy lines. The title of This piece is “The Death Penalty.”
The death penalty continues to be a controversial subject in the United States penal system. Our conversation is to analyze it a little bit deeper. And my question is, do supporters believe the death penalty should be fair, or should it be biased?
Advocates have to admit that the death penalty should be fair, but is it? The Baldis study found that Black defendants are more than three times as likely to receive the death penalty than whites. Now, some may challenge the validity of this study. Now, That’s interesting, because this statistical evidence was accepted as valid by the United States Supreme Court. The highest court in the land admitted racial disparities with the death penalty. The death penalty isn’t fair. So was it justice to keep it.
Those who are indifferent look at the convicted as sinners. Their offense is a reflection of their weak character. Since all the blame is placed on the offender, they feel as though the harshness is warranted. They feel like the death is deserving. But those who are sympathetic look at the convicted as a person who fell short, their offense related to unfortunate unjust situations with the need for redemption. The goal is restoration. Harshness is not warranted. Death is not deserving.
The death penalty is not just a political decision. It is a reflection of a person’s essence. The essence of their humanity. The death penalty is unfair. The death penalty is a reflection of who you are as a human being. pro- or anti-death penalty, that choice is yours.
This is Kenjuan Congo, Jr. calling from a prison camp behind enemy lines. Thank you. All power to the people.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
