For those of you who know me well, I have always been interested in politics. I think it's important to keep myself educated on current issues, even if I may have a major qualm with our government. However, my biggest concern has always lied within our justice system. Not only do I believe it's corrupt, but it's also inhumane. I sometimes wonder how these people sleep at night. I read an article by John Thompson, a contributing writer to the NY Times. This man spent 18 years in prison, 14 of them on death row for a crime that he didn't commit. The Death Penalty in my view is the most fucked up punishment we have in this "civilized" country. I've argued with people on many occasions and I'm usually standing alone on this issue. I even had one person ask me if I was "pro-rape" because I didn't think a rapist should be killed. Well here's the unfortunate truth, rapists are not going to fade away if they are given the death penalty. They're out there, and I doubt anyone is actually pro-rape unless they are indeed a rapist. But back to Thompson, this issue goes far beyond the cruel institution of lethal punishment. Thompson was convicted of robbery and murder, both of which he didn't commit. The prosecution got away withholding evidence for 15 years. 15 years! Part of this evidence was a blood sample. My question is how come no team of investigators was able to discover this. Instead, an innocent man was framed and forced to live a cruel existence. Worst of all, he wasn't able to see his children grow up. Luckily, there is a somewhat happy ending to this story. After those 15 years, the blood sample was uncovered and found that Thompson was innocent.
What many people don't realize about our justice system is that it's a money system. If you are wealthy and can afford a good attorney, you will probably be okay. However, if that isn't the case, you might be fucked. Does that seem fair? Of course not. If we are on the topic of money, it costs more to keep someone on death row than it does to keep them in prison for life. Because once you are sentenced to death, you are brought back to trial many grueling times for a series of appeals that usually just delay the inevitable unless more evidence appears. Evidence is the key here, which apparently takes more time to discover than it should. Now, I don't like to be cynical. The best thing we can as American citizens is educate ourselves on what is happening around us. That way people can see the reality of the country and maybe evoke some emotions. I know for me, it breaks my heart more and more each time.
-E-steam
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