Monday, October 30, 2006

Human nature can't be trusted with death penalty

Human nature can't be trusted with death penalty

Humankind does not deal in absolutes very well. Being flawed creatures,
we've never done anything perfectly. Being moral creatures, we've never
deliberately destroyed anything without a greater purpose in mind.

And because we're intellectual creatures, everyone will have a different
opinion on those two sentences and how they balance out in our world.
Experience tells us, however, that every endeavor that has involved a
human being no matter its ultimate success has had a mistake at some
point.

That is why the death penalty is not needed in Wisconsin.

There are many arguments for and against capital punishment. Some studies
say it works as a deterrent as a crime, others say its effects are
unquantifiable. Some say it brings relief to victims' families, but some
victims' families are against it. Some say it serves as an equitable
punishment for heinous crimes, others say two wrongs don't make a right.
Everyone has a point. But there are two undeniable facts involved that
should cut moral and social debate short.

One is that death is irreversible. The other is that man is prone to
error. And the first time an undeserving person is put to death, it
undermines the validity of the entire process. We don't say "if," because
such a mistake is bound to happen. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but
eventually. That is human nature.

Advocates for the current proposal note the DNA provision; namely, that
irrefutable DNA evidence is needed to make a convict eligible for the
death penalty. This is surely a step in the right direction, but still far
from a guarantee. While DNA science itself is 100 percent accurate, every
step in the judicial process is not.

One honest mistake by a crime scene technician, laboratory analyst, police
officer, district attorney or expert witness is all that is needed to
corrupt the integrity of the evidence or its interpretation and, by
extension, the death penalty itself.

Capital punishment is an attempt to bring rationality to irrational
behavior, to make sense of senseless action, to bring order to chaos.
Understandable, but futile. The death penalty will not end or even
tangibly reduce horrific criminal behavior. Perhaps it will make us feel
better, but even that will be temporary.

Because eventually we will kill the wrong person, and every Wisconsinite
should fear that day.

(source: Editorial, Appleton Post-Crescent)

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