Personal story sheds light on death penalty failings



Richard Treadwell

Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Opinion

On March 7, 2007 Lee Greenwood watched as her son, Joseph Nichols, an
African-American, was brought into the death sentence chamber after
he was transported there in a manner designed to scrape away at his
dignity.

Joseph wrote before his execution, "They cut off all my clothes and
stripped me naked. I finally got a pair of boxers but my feet were
shackled together, my hands were chained and then another chain bound
my feet, went up over my shoulders and bound my hands. This is how
our people were brought here from the motherland, naked and chained,
and this is how I will leave."

Lee came recently and told her painful story at a Rice for Peace anti-
death penalty workshop and said that when a prisoner is being
executed they amplify the heartbeat for all to hear. Struggling
through her emotions, she told of listening as her son's heart raced,
stuttered and came to a still and final rest. Life is not taken from
only the prisoner; people like Lee are left to suffer the piece of
their lives permanently stolen from them.

Joseph's words echo one of the numerous and grave wrongs found in
capital punishment: The death penalty is inextricably tied to race.
Consider that whenever a white person is murdered the defendant is
about five times more likely to receive the death penalty than if the
victim is black. How can we allow a criminal justice system tainted
by such unreasonable and biased thought to judge whether a fellow
human being can keep his life?

What's more: In every case, the socioeconomic status of the defendant
is a factor in whether or not he's executed, making the poor
unfortunate targets. Legally appointed lawyers - even if they're
actually motivated - lack the resources to conduct costly and well-
researched investigations. Controversy raged over Joseph's sentence
for allegedly murdering a store attendant during a robbery the months
preceding his execution. The first trial showed Joseph did not kill
the attendant. Willie Williams, Joseph's partner, testified to being
the sole shooter; the medical examiner's testimony corroborated
Williams'; and the district attorney tried Williams as the sole
shooter. The jury was split and a mistrial was declared. During the
second trial the district attorney's office tried Joseph as the sole
shooter; the medical examiner reversed his testimony and Joseph was
sentenced to die. Greenwood's family gave everything to try and save
Joseph from a series of disastrously unfit trials, at one point
spending $50,000 to have a 50-page petition written to the courts.
However, in Joseph's case it just wasn't enough, and they eventually
ran out of funds. And if you don't have the money, you don't get to
live.

If you're a poor minority, just being in the wrong place at the wrong
time is enough. Is the death of one innocent person worth whatever
"justice" comes from executing a thousand guilty people? Since the
death penalty was reinstated in 1973, there have been 130
exonerations, most of which were achieved by hard-working activist
organizations working against the criminal justice system. Still,
there isn't enough energy put into innocence projects, so wrongful
executions have taken place.

In addition to the bitter possibility of killing an innocent person
and blatant prejudice, the death penalty has been shown to be a
feeble crime deterrent according to Jeffrey Fagan in his article
titled "Death and Deterrence Reduce: Science, Law, and Casual
Reasoning on Capital Punishment". Richard C. Dieter, Executive
Director of the Death Penalty Information Center has also stated that
the death penalty tends to be more expensive than life in prison and
often times, to not provide any closure to victims' families. In
fact, several organizations composed of victims' families exist in
opposition to the death penalty, such as Murder Victims' Families for
Reconciliation.

In spite of all these pragmatic arguments against capital punishment,
some will still argue that some crimes are so bad, the perpetrator
deserves to die. In response to this argument, we must carefully ask
ourselves which part of our human nature is satisfied. The age-old
question of justice versus vengeance arises. It's a complicated
question, but often we seek to rid our anger and sadness with
violence. Let's not seek to relieve these emotions by replacing them
with violence; let's learn the art of forgiveness and compassion. It
has been the light of compassion illuminating the darkness of wrath
that has created the progress we enjoy today.

Joseph's statement above testifies to this idea. His ancestors were
freed by compassion, but he was shackled and killed in compassion's
absence. If the same goals can be accomplished through life
imprisonment, then the death penalty is a needless remnant of a
violent nature that can be stopped at any time we wish. If peace is a
worthwhile goal, the United States must show the world we value all
human life, regardless of the crimes it's committed. As A.J. Muste
wrote, "There is no way to peace - peace is the way."

Visit www.deathpenaltyinf o.org for information on the death penalty.

Richard Treadwell is a Baker College junior.

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