Death Penalty

Am I in favor of the death penalty? Fuck no!

Why not? For starters, our justice system is utterly skewed in favor of wealthy white men. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Sentencing Project:

African Americans are more likely than white Americans to be arrested; once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted; and once convicted, they are more likely to experience lengthy prison sentences. African-American adults are 5.9 times as likely to be incarcerated than whites and Hispanics are 3.1 times as likely.
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The source of such disparities is deeper and more systemic than explicit racial discrimination. The United States in effect operates two distinct criminal justice systems: one for wealthy people and another for poor people and people of color. (source)

There’s also the length of time those sentenced to die spend waiting for their big, last day.

In 1984, the average time between sentencing and execution was 74 months, or a little over six years, according to BJS. (Bureau of Judicial Statistics) By 2019, that figure had more than tripled to 264 months, or 22 years. The average prisoner awaiting execution at the end of 2019, meanwhile, had spent nearly 19 years on death row. (source)

After having spent 20+ years on death row, is the prisoner the same person as when they were sentenced? Maybe? Maybe not.

If I’m thinking that death is cheaper for the taxpayers—that is, we’re not paying to clothe, feed, house and guard the baddies (like Manson) for life—I’d be double-plus WRONG.

… report from Susquehanna University suggests that capital punishment costs about $3 billion more than it would to have everyone on death row serving life sentences instead. The average federal prisoner costs about $37,500 per year. In contrast, a death row prisoner costs about $60,000 to $70,000 per year. This is because death row requires more staff and single cells, among other things. So putting someone on death row for 20 years, common considering the appeals process, costs more than putting them in general population for 40 to 45 years. (source)

IS the convicted person actually guilty?

Studies estimate that between 4-6% of people incarcerated in US prisons are actually innocent. If 5% of individuals are actually innocent, that means 1/20 criminal cases result in a wrongful conviction. (source)

Maybe I'm willing to make exceptions to my death penalty stance for these two though.

Robert Bowers, the fetid scum-drooling sack of months old smegma, who murdered 11 people (and wounded six others) at a Pittsburgh synagogue on October 27th, 2018, has been sentenced to death. He definitely, beyond any doubt, did the molto heinous deed, he’s never bothered to show as much as a fake bit of remorse—he's, in fact, proud of himself.

The motherfucker deserves a painful, slow death! Given Bowers age (50) and the common 20+ years between sentencing and execution, he’s essentially serving life in prison but with fewer to no cellmates.

Meanwhile in Buffalo, NY, Payton Gendron, the murderer of ten in a Tops Friendly Markets on May 14, 2022 has been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

He pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, which carry the potential for the death penalty. The federal case is still in progress.

This 19 year old mass murdering fuck gave a lovely, even genuine sounding apology (I wonder who wrote it for him) and, of course, cried. Ya know, just like that vile puke pile, KKKyle Rittenhouse. The awesome judge was having none of it though.

“There is no place for you or your ignorant, hateful and evil ideologies in a civilized society,” she (Judge Susan Eagan) said. “There can be no mercy for you, no understanding, no second chances. The damage you have caused is too great, and the people you have hurt are too valuable to this community. You will never see the light of day as a free man ever again.” (source)

Gendron’s apology had everything to do with the fact that he didn’t, like Crybaby Kyle, get away with his horrifyingly evil deed. Am I rooting for the death penalty on the federal charges? I don’t know. I lean toward nah. He’s, potentially, got a whole bunch of years left in him. I want every last moment to be lived in fear and pain.

It’s times like this that I wish I believed hell (as described by Dante and painted by Hieronymus Bosch) actually existed.