Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 07:27:30 EDT
From: <KRB104@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Death Penalty, for or against?

   As a Black sociologist, I have always been anti-death penalty because of the
 disproportionate number of our people who are being put to death for killing
white people.  I was even anti-death penalty after my younger brother was
senselessly murdered 3 years ago.  But I think my ideas about  the situation
have changed drastically over the last few years.
  Are we putting people in prison for rehabilitation, retribution, or for the
betterment of society?  I work for a judicial branch of the federal government
and the government's answer is for the betterment of society.  Stiffer and
longer sentences in the federal judiciary have driven inmate populations
through the roof.  I, for one, am for long  determinate sentences (by
determinate vs. inderterminate sentences, I refer to the fact that those who
get determinate sentences actually serve what they are sentenced to, in other
wrods parole is abolished in the federal system, a 10 year sentence is a 10
year sentence, not out in 4 with good behavior).  The person convicted of
killing my brother will be eligible for Parole after only 4 1/4 years (he only
got 17 years through a plea bargain, he pled to 1st degree murder).  Now I
will have to fight Parole boards every year until he is released.
  But I get off the subject.  The reason my ideas have changed about the
death penalty was a weekend of horrible violence in Baltimore three weeks ago.
Two police officers were shot point blank in the head, one lived, one didn't.
The one that didn't was also stabbed 30 times with an ice pick.  When people
commit this kind of violence to police officers, they will not think twice
about shooting you and I.  The person who killed the police officer was
killed by 16 shots by police officers who showed up later (instant death
sentence, no courts, no media).  His mother, who was there at the crime
scenen said that her son deserved what he got.
   Again, will an active death penalty stop this kind of crime?  I think it
may.  If the court can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed a
murder, should you be put to death?  The Bible says, "an eye for an eye".  I
still have problems with the death penalty.  As usual in this country, it will
be us being put to death.  But we are also committing a disproportionate amount
of the murders.  We have to stop blaming society for all of our ills and look
inwards at some point.  I am tired of Black on Black violence, I am tired of
young people having no respect for life.  What do you all think?  What do you
think of the death penalty?  Statistics show that southerners favor the
death penalty more than northerners.  Baltimore's mayor, Kurt L. Schmoke (who
very well may be the next Black senator, after Braun) came out for the
death penalty after the recent violence (he was a former Prosecutor).  What
do you all think of determinate vs. indeterminate sentencing (determinate
sentences drive the cost of incarcerations up)?  What can the govt do to
stop the tide of violence that we have?
  I know I have asked a lot of questions, but this issue bothers me, especially
since I work in it daily, and there are not enough Black voices around this
place.  I fight a losing battle daily for some issues (crack cocaine sentences
vs. powder cocaine, under federal statute, crack cases are sentenced 100 times,
that is right 100 times, more harshly than powder cocaine.  Of course you know
what racial group makes up 94.1% of the crack cocaine cases), but I would
like to know if other battles are worth fighting.
  Thanks,
      Kevin