As a federal execution nears in Terre Haute, we need to openly discuss the pros and cons of the death penalty. Supporters of the death penalty believe that execution is a just punishment for homicide. Our system of death sentencing is like a lottery determined by countless random factors, such as the skill of the court-appointed defense counsel, the prejudice and attitudes of judges and juries, and the amount of money available to finance adequate legal fees. It appears this process is far from just. Nor is it cheap.
Capital punishment is an expensive way to deal with the problem of violent crime.
The average murder trial and the first stage of appeals cost taxpayers more than twice what it costs to keep a person in prison for life. Coretta Scott King, widowed by an assassin's bullet, stands firmly against the death penalty. Justice is never advanced in the taking of a human life. Morality is never upheld by legalized murder. Most nations do not have the death penalty.