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Contents this page were published in the September/October, 1997 edition of the Washington Free Press.
WFP, 1463 E. Republican #178, Seattle, WA -USA, 98112. -- WAfreepress@gmail.com
Copyright © 1997 WFP Collective, Inc.
"When we abolished the punishment for treason that you should be hanged and then cut down while still alive, then disemboweled while still alive, and then quartered, we did not abolish that punishment because we sympathized with traitors, but because we took the view that this was a punishment no longer consistent with our self-respect."
The above words of Lord Chancellor Gardiner illustrate the feeling of most individuals opposed to capital punishment. It's not sympathy towards the murderer that we feel, indeed, most of us feel a great deal of anger toward all murderers and their actions. Our objection is that the death penalty is a complete renunciation of all that is embodied in our concept of humanity. Or more simply put, executions degrade us all.
In today's society, the execution process is far removed from most individual citizens. We may, or more likely may not, be aware of the criminal acts that put an individual on death row - and if we are it is usually only through sensationalized press accounts (such as the recent Timothy McVeigh case) - but very few of us know of the human being whom society has condemned to death. And even fewer of us have witnessed, or ever will witness, an actual execution. They are carried out in the middle of the night, away from us all, to hide what they really are - a barbaric punishment symbolic of our less civilized past. It is easier for us to distance ourselves from capital punishment and to accept it as "something government does," which in turn allows us to avoid accepting individual responsibility for the consequences of such actions.
There are acceptable alternatives to capital punishment that are more in line with the values of our supposedly enlightened society. Are not the greatest of these values our compassion, our concern for human rights, and our capacity for mercy? By continuing to conduct executions, aren't we undermining the very foundations of our greatness? As Zimbabwe poet Chenjerai Hove wrote: "The death sentence is abominable, as abominable as the crime itself. Our society must be based on love, not hatred and victimization. Our penal code must be based on rehabilitation rather than annihilation." So long as the spirit of vengeance maintains the slightest vestige of respectability, so long as it pervades the public mind and infuses its evil upon the statute books of law, we will make no headway towards the control of violence in our society.
Those who favor the abolition of capital punishment do not advocate releasing convicted murderers into society,. The choice is not between the death penalty and unconditional release, but between the death penalty and meaningful long-term sentences. Life without the possibility of release, also known as a "natural life" sentence, meets the necessary requirements of society without being excessively brutal or barbaric.
There are numerous local, state, and national organizations working hard to rid this country of capital punishment. They need your help and support. For a list of these organizations send $3 for a copy of The Abolitionist's Directory to: The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, 1436 U Street NW, Suite #104, Washington DC 20009. Or call them at (202) 387-3390. And please be sure to tell them that Michael Ross sent you.
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