Why do you oppose the Death Penalty?
If you'd like to share your reasons, please email them to MADP's state coordinator (cunningham@moabolition.org)We oppose the Death Penalty for many reasons!
Below are some reasons MADP members have given for why they believe abolition is important.One big reason to oppose the death penalty is to protect good people from themselves. It's so easy to let hate take over. If a child or a sweet old grandma dies, the rage in a community is triple that of the death of a young drug dealer. So we strike back, in a legal lynching, and can praise each other for murdering the accused. The mob mentality is there, not something to be proud of. But we must continue to justify our actions after the passions cool, so we say 'he deserved it.'
Caron Wells, Kansas City
I oppose the death penalty not only because innocent persons get executed, but I believe that no person, no matter how wrong he or she may have been in what they did, is beyond the ability to change or be changed.
Fr. Paul Jones, Pittsburg MO
I have many reasons for opposing the death penalty but the most important is that the death penalty is not needed to protect the lives of our citizens. It does not support our common good. We have life imprisonment without parole for that purpose. The state of Missouri has no need to kill in our name and use our tax dollars to do so.
Donna Walmsley, Springfield
I used to support the death penalty because I thought: 1) there was absolutely no doubt the person was guilty and 2) because only psychopaths who were unable to change and remained a constant danger were the ones being put to death. After quitting my job as a reporter, I started researching cases and discovered tons of information that the media had never received. That information included/showed prosecutors making up or twisting facts to use against the defendant; leads not followed in the investigation; disproportionate sentences based on which county prosecuted as opposed to circumstances of the crime. The more I researched cases, the more I realized that this system does not work well enough to impose such a final sentence. Once I met the families of these men and women who were condemned, the unfairness and capriciousness of this sentence really hit home. The death penalty punishes the families of the condemned by killing their loved ones - and forcing them to pay for it through their taxes. Meanwhile, the vast number of families of men and women who were convicted of the same crime - first-degree murder - do not face the state-mandated death of their loved one. The maximum-security prisons of Missouri are surrounded by death fences and have very tight security measures in place. The Department of Corrections has a place (ad seg) for inmates who are a threat to others. There is absolutely no reason other than blood vengeance to have a death penalty. Our Constitution and our legal system were not designed to provide some citizens with vengeance, they are designed to provide fair and equal treatment to all. When one looks at the civilized world, the United States is one of only a handful of nations that kills its citizens legally. Considering how we feel about Iraq and Iran, it is implausible that we enjoy being lumped together with them as supporters of capital punishment.
Paula Skillicorn, Potosi
After studing the issue, I realized that this issue can be opposed on many, many levels. If we are going to be making "life or death" decisions, then we need to make sure we have a perfect system to do so. People are not perfect and it is people who make up our justice system. Mistakes can be made; I do not feel that it is "ok" for a mistake to be made when it involves a life. What if all the "mistakes" were cleared up? On a philosophical/ethical level I do not believe that we can argue for the death penalty----even if it was a perfect system. The most basic question crosses my mind---as a society, how can we teach that killing is wrong if we execute? As a society, how are we to teach that life is precious and has quality and meaning if we execute? On a psychological level: over and over again studies in basic human behavior, and child development show that punishments are not deterrents for behaviors and are not helpful in behavior modification. Rewards are, yes, but punishment is not. What makes us think that the death penalty is any different? Lastly, the families of those on death row; more victims are created. I sure would not want to see one of my loved ones in that situation.
Amy Ruse, Kansas City