Emily Kelly
Professor Camp
English 202
26 October 2015
Capital Punishment: A Flawed System
For centuries, the death penalty has been used as the ultimate punishment all
over the world. Documentation from all different eras reports cases of capital
punishment being used for a variety of crimes. However, over past years much
controversy has surrounded this issue even causing it to be abolished in a number of
countries. Many individuals and organizations argue that the death sentence is flawed
and provide an ample amount of research to prove this. Others claim that the death
penalty is simply unconstitutional. Capital punishment is racially biased, violates our
rights, and is economically inefficient.
Racism has been an issue for centuries. However, it often goes unrealized the
role it plays in capital punishment. The numbers show for themselves in many
statistical findings. According to Herbert Heilbrun, “In a sample of over 2000 murder
cases, death sentences were handed down for 22% of the blacks who killed whites,
8% of the whites who killed whites, 3% of the whites who killed blacks, and 1% of
the blacks who killed blacks” (70). These numbers are disturbing and bring light to
the reality of the racial bias that takes place in capital punishment. This numerical data
is further supported by far more extensive statistical research. Richard Dieter
explains, raw data estimates that that individuals of African American descent are at
least 40% more likely to be charged with a death sentence. Furthermore, out of 100
individual 18 African Americans will be sentenced to death compared to 13 white
individuals (3). These numbers are outrageous and unacceptable. If we cannot look at
a case completely objectively then the government is not able to assess which
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individual is deserving of the death penalty and which person is not. In addition,
we are not able to move forward in our society with racism if we continue
prosecuting capital charges on individuals due to their race.
Another claim protestors dispute about the death penalty is that it is
unconstitutional. The 8th Amendment in our constitution was created to protect us
against cruel and unusual punishment however the death penalty is exactly that.
Between botched legal injections and executions of innocent defendants, cruel would
be an understatement. D. J. Cobaugh discusses cases where drugs such as
hydromorphone and midazolam resulted in botched executions, which can be
extremely painful and traumatic (1355). Ben Crair further discusses the events that
took place when a botched execution occurred using this drug combination. Crair
writes:
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