The most alarming statistic I have come across in researching the death penalty has to do with the capital punishment rate in the deep south of Alabama. The facts are that the state is 25% black, but death row is 47% black. I could use this to argue that this statistic is racist, but this claim could easily be refuted by the argument that proportionally more blacks commit crimes than whites. A statistic that cannot be as easily refuted is one I came upon while researched the death penalty statistics of certain states. I found that only 6% of the murders in Alabama are of blacks killing whites. And yet a at the same time a staggeringly high 60% of the people on death row are blacks there for killing whites.
Our justice system is not fair, there is no blind justice. The death penalty is fraught with defects and something needs to be done about it. At the very least a moratorium needs to be called for and major adjustments made to the current system. There needs to be a certain level of equality in the justice system for it to be effective and fair, it is currently neither.
A current day example of this issue is that of the Jena 6 case in Louisiana. Most of you probably know the story, the small town, the nooses and the "white" tree. The incident has been intensely followed by many who have watched thorough coverage of the story on the news and have read about it through magazine and newspaper articles. A friend of mine even attended a protest in Chicago where she attends college, and there was a smaller demonstration on my college campus over 700 miles away. This is a national issue, people are paying attention. And though this example does not involve the death penalty, it does involve the unfairness of the justice system. It makes the idea much more tangible.
5 comments:
The Justice system is unfair. Yes, but why is it unfair is the real question. I do not buy into two seperate systems for Blacks and Whites. I think that Rasicim is kept alive because it is the last barriar that Blacks have to keep them apart from "whitey." If racisim would die, then we would truely be equals and what would happen when everyone was equal? No one could blame racisim anymore. No one could say they didn't have a job beacuse a white man took it. No one could say they were in jail because a white man set them up. It would be, I don't have a job because I didnt graduate high school, I am in jail because I needed some food and shot a man for his money. But then again, if a white man needed food and shot a black man, Rev. Al Sharpton would lead a crusade against the "corrupt justice system."
i think a lot of what these statistics are a result of is the past of the people in our society. so much anger and hate is pent up in people, and ripples through generations to come, even if events are past and resolved (as much as they can be).
if evening out this statistics is something that would make this less controversial, would that make it right?
As for your modern example of the Jenna 6 I agree that the punishment did not fit the crime; that is, in terms of the white students who hung the noose. What those students did is unacceptable, the KKK isn't allowed to do it, so neither should a student. I definitely think that the student/ students involved deserved more than punishment by the school system. That being said, all of these "protests" claiming that the Jena 6 have been punished too harshly is absurd! The fact remains that they beat a student so severely that he was sent to the hospital. To say the action was "provoked" is to condone vigilante justice, and lashing out any time you are offended. We live in a civilized society where that sort of behavior is not acceptable. I absolutely support justice for all, but justice is not served by letting the Jenna 6 off without taking any responsibility for their own actions and choices.
Study 7: Full Review Finds no Bias
"From 1976-1995, 5 white murderers have been put to death for the murder of black persons and 101 black murderers have been put to death for the murder of white persons (NAACP LDF, 1996). Opponents falsely contend that this is evidence of racism in the "system". That 101:5 ratio, or 20:1, is consistent with statistics that show aggravated crimes (those crimes committed with the murder which may make a crime eligible for the death penalty) are committed by blacks against whites in far greater numbers than by whites against blacks. For all violent crimes, there are ten times as many black offenders (2,016,939) involved in white victim violent crimes as there are white offenders (210,869) involved in black victim violent crimes, or a 10:1 ratio. (The State of Violent Crime in America, pg. 12,1/96, data derived from Criminal Victimization in the U.S., 1993, BJS forthcoming, tables 42 and 48. Multiple offenders were assumed to be two offenders for calculation purposes.) In addition, blacks are nearly three times as likely to murder whites (849), as whites are to murder blacks (304), or 3:1 (Sourcebook 1994, BJS 1995, table 3.123). IF murder rates are statistically consistent within the violent crime category, as McCleskey et al indicate, then blacks are, statistically, by a 30:1 (10:1 X 3:1) ratio, more likely to murder whites, than whites are to murder blacks, in those circumstances where an additional aggravating factor is present (see C2). These are those crimes most eligible for the death penalty. That statistically projected ratio of 30:1 is hardly inconsistent with the 20:1 ratio for black offender(s)/white victim vs white offender(s)/black victim executions. The most relevant aggravated crime is robbery with injury, wherein blacks are 21 times more likely to be involved in such crimes as are whites. This 21:1 ratio represents 1.4 million black offender(s)/white victim vs. 68,000 white offender(s)/black victim for robbery with injury crimes (JFA, using BJS, 1977-84 data). IF overall murder statistics are consistent, within this crime category, as McCleskey et al suggests, then there is a 30-60:1 ratio of black on white vs white on black murders within this robbery/murder category. (From 1977-1984)."
Excerpt from "C. RACE, SENTENCING AND THE DEATH PENALTY", paragraph No. 5., DEATH PENALTY AND SENTENCING INFORMATION In the United States, 10/1/97, by Dudley Sharp, http://prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html#C.Race
Good post.
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