Capital Punishment
...person, we are eliminating some individuals' chance for salvation. It is the government’s responsibility to punish people that disobey the law to keep our world in tact, but is it their right to take away their lives? Some people think that what has been lost or taken away is granted when one is sentenced to the death penalty. However, if a loved one is murdered and their family feels justice in having the murderer done the same is it not considered equally demented. Forgiving and forgetting are entirely out of the question, but one should consider the concept of regret and remorse. Just as one feels terrible and wishes the benevolence of their neighbor when wrongfully driving through his yard, surely a murder may feel the same. One is only human and no one can expect any more. A mistake is a mistake, no matter whom it may harm or what destruction it may cause. Abraham Lincoln declared, “All men are created equal.” This statement of truth has obviously been left out of consideration in the courtrooms. Every one deserves a second chance. There’s always the chance of the innocent being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A handful of evidence from a strong lawyer could sentence someone to life in prison, or even the death penalty. Innocent people have been executed in the past and statistics show that several innocent people are convicted of capital crimes in the United States each year. Should one have to die or even serve time that is not rightfully theirs? Today the availability of DNA testing is rapidly changing investigation. Each individual’s DNA is unique, which means tests can be conducted on body fluids such as blood, semen, and tissue samples. Samples from a crime scene can be compared with those of the suspects, even using very old pieces of evidence. The Innocence Project has fought to have these DNA tests used more widely, and has helped people to get the test and appeal to the courts. In the US as of June 2002, 108 people including 12 on death row have been found not guilty due to the use of DNA testing. The increasing use of DNA testing to help confirm the innocence or quilt in capital case is one among many reforms that will help ensure that innocent people are not sentenced to death. For example, a Michigan court ordered the release of Eddie Joe Lloyd, who had been convicted of rape and murder back in 1984 and sentenced to life imprisonment, without possibility of parole. Lloyd was in prison for 17 years before DNA testing showed he could not have committed the crimes for which he had been convicted. The Innocence Project also found that mistaken identification was the most common reason for a wrongful conviction, figuring in 61 of the 110 cases. Over population in jails is common but the death penalty is not the solution. Costs for the death penalty a...