What Will Bring You Closure?

            My view on the death penalty has always been a mystery, even to me. Sometimes I feel that we should not kill people, what if they did not do it; On the other hand I wonder if someone close to me was killed, would I want them to die also. I remember in my debate class after a girl gave a speech on abolishing capital punishment, on the basis that no one should have that kind of power where they "play god", the teacher asked her if she believe in life support. Prolonging life is just as powerful as ending life; CRAZY.

Back to the subject at hand, capital punishment or better known as the death penalty, my fellow bloggers Jake and York support this kind if punishment for guilty people. York makes the point that money is a factor in supporting the death penalty in her post 'The Infamous Texas Death Penalty', unfortunately does not provide a link and does not cite her sources.  "Upwards of a million dollars per case" for capital punishment, this includes appeals, witnesses, juries, etc., and around 50 dollars a day to house and feed an inmate. After doing the math if a guilty inmate is housed for fifty years it would cost around 912,500 dollars. This makes me think of all the minor (drug) offenders that are in prison and the money and resources that go to put those people away and keep them there could be use for bigger fish, i.e. murderous crimes.

          York also presents the information of a new bill put forth to ensure all possible DNA testing is done prior to starting the trial, but once again fails to provide a source. This bill would decrease the number of people wrongfully convicted; I believe this is a good idea and do not understand why we have not securing DNA test for those accused to begin with. I was able to find a recent article from the Austin Chronicle written last month on this issue, ‘LawmakersUrge Pretrial DNA Testing in Death Penalty Cases’.

          Whenever capital punishment is brought up it makes me think of a cover story on the front page of the Austin Chronicle ‘Perry the Executioner’, interesting article and a good read, full of information. I get the since that York feels very strongly about avenging the wrong doings, but let me leave you with this,  Gandhi once said “an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”