The majority of the civilized world has recognized the foolishness of the death penalty and has abolished it. But Donald Trump is staying stubborn in his attempts to keep the United States in the unflattering company of countries like North Korea, China, and Saudi Arabia, which still believe human life is theirs for taking. This is despite numerous evidence that this form of punishment is not efficient and that such convictions are prone to human error.
Trump Wasted No Time Erasing Decades of Mercy
The number of federal executions during Trump’s first term surged to a historical level after no capital punishment was performed since 2003. In just the final six months of his time in the office, 13 people were executed. This was the most in such a short period of time in the history of the United States. As soon as he succeeded Trump, President Joe Biden reversed the course. Under the Biden administration, there was a moratorium on federal executions, and he commuted the sentences of 37 persons convicted to the death penalty in the final days of his presidency.
As soon as he returned to the office for the second time, Trump restored the death penalty. He also issued an order for federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty whenever possible. Furthermore, Trump announced he will ask for capital punishment for all those convicted of murder in Washington, D.C. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, DC, we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump said back in August. “And that’s a very strong preventative.”
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Innocent People Are Being Convicted to Death
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) shared a report back in November in which it outlined the fatal flaws of capital punishment in the United States. It points out how racial bias and human errors are convicting innocent people to death. According to the report, at least 200 individuals have received capital punishment before being exonerated since the modern death penalty was established in 1973. The wrongful convictions are caused by misconduct by police and prosecutors, false testimonies, misidentification, and non-diverse juries. The murder cases involving white victims have been particularly subject to wrongful convictions.
The report cites the Death Penalty Information Center and points out that there were at least 21 people who were executed but “very likely were innocent” in the era of the modern death penalty. Out of those 21 cases, 11 were people of color, and 76% were accused of a crime involving a white victim. It also highlights the executions of Leo Jones, Carlos DeLuna, and Marcellus Williams as clear cases where all the evidence pointed to their innocence, but to no avail.
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It’s Time for the United States to Become Civilized
In some ways, the United States is the most civilized country in the world. But as long as the death penalty remains, it can’t claim it’s any better than barbaric North Korea or Saudi Arabia. The only solution is to abolish capital punishment and finally become part of the modern era.
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