The death penalty is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to it.
Denying someone their life is a denial of their human rights.
Last year, BBC showed a documentary ‘Life and Death Row’ showing the public what the death penalty and death row is like in parts of America.
It was life changing for me.
My opinions on the death penalty had never been strong, but after watching this documentary my ideas definitely changed. I was against it.
First, let me lay down some facts.
– At least 778 people were executed in 22 countries around the world in 2013.
– In 2013, worldwide executions increased by almost 15% compared to 2012.
– As 0f 2014, 98 countries have abolished the death penalty.
I’m not sympathising with criminals or people who have committed horrific crimes. I’m not condoning what they did. I am definitely not against punishing them. I am against killing them.
The year is 2015. 2015.
In 2015, should we still be killing people? This is not an eye for an eye society.
We also do not have the right to kill someone.
We don’t have the right to decide the fate of someone’s life.
In Life and Death Row the jury was to decide the fate of a 22 year old man accused of murdering 8 members of his family. 12 people were to decide the life of a human being.
Fortunately, these 12 American’s did not have to decide this as one juror had been removed for placing strain on trying to reach a decision.
In this documentary you additionally see the family members of these prisoners. They are just like you and me. They are not evil, they didn’t commit these crimes, and they don’t deserve to face the punishment for what this human did.
We should not bow to the prisoners level and kill them for committing crimes. We are just as bad as they are.
At the end of the day, we cannot decide the fate of someone’s life. We do not have that power. We never will.
Join Amnesty in trying to end the existence of the death penalty -≥ http://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/Death-penalty
~Rachel ❤
LegallyFierceFeminist 