Personal story sheds light on death penalty failings

By Richard Treadwell     11/13/08 6:00pm

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?

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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.deathpenaltyinfo.org for information on the death penalty.

Richard Treadwell is a Baker College junior.

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