June18,2010

SocietalKillingToDoOrNotToDo?
Thisisahottopic,withtheexterminationofaconvictedmurdererbyfiringsquadinUtah.Somewill
beopposedtokillingonanygrounds,somewillbeopposedtonotpermanentlystoppingadangerous
killerforthesafetyofothers.Bothsides,ofcourse,haveandmakeargumentsofmeritinthenational
media.Youcandecidewhichsideofthefenceyouareon.Butwhatoccurredtomeisthatthe
discussionsometimeslacksafullperspectivebythequestionsnotbeingasked,letaloneanswered.And
answeringthesequestionsonapersonalbasisandasasocietymaycolorourdecisiononthedeath
penalty.

Iwillleaveasidethediscussionofretribution(eyeforaneyefromtheoldTestament),the
expediencyofkillemsotheycanthurtanyoneelse(assumetheyarejailed)and,notleast,thou
shaltnotkillasamoralandreligioustenet.Thesearebeingamplydiscussedelsewhere.No,Iwilljust
listtheonesIthinkpeoplealsoneedtoconsiderthatarenotinthemainstreamargumentswaging
acrossthenation.

1. Whatistherealcostinourtaxesofkeepingamurdererinjailperyear?Senttoamaximum
securityprison,suchcostscanrangeupwardsfrom$75,000peryearperprisoner(times3,300
currentlyondeathrow=$247,500,000ayear).
2. Doweasasocietyfeelthat$75,000isbetterspentkeepingsomeoneinjailorfeedingthe
starving?Thereare13millionunderfedchildreninAmerica$75,000ayearwouldfeed30kids
ayear.$247,500,000wouldfeed9,900.
3. So,dowefeelthatdeathrowinmatesshouldbeclearedoutimmediatelyuponsentencing
and,ifnot,whatisahumanetimetoallowforlegalprudence?
4. HowmucharewewillingtospendwithbackevaluatingevidenceusingnewDNAproceduresand
if,asinIllinois,asmanyas25%ofreopenedrapeandmurdercasesarefoundtobeinerror,
whatshouldwedoinsofarasallthedeathrowinmatesareconcerned?Whatisthepayoutfor
wrongfulconvictiontothemor,ifnowdeceased,theirfamilies?
5. Whatproof,anywhere,existsinnondeathsentencingcountriestoshowthatkillersdonotkill
again?Andiftheydonot,whynot,whatrehabdotheyhaveinplace?Willthatworkhere?
6. Ifrehabworksonkillers,whatdoesitcostcomparedtothe$75,000ayear?Isitcheaperto
rehabsomeoneorkillthem?
7. Doweevenwantmoneyandtaxestoenterintothediscussion?Isthatmoral?
 8. Ifrehabmostlyworks,butnotalways,whatpercentageofrecidivismwouldyoufindacceptable
(repeatkillers)?5%?10%?More?Less?
9. Thehumanmechanismdoesnotgooutlikealightswitch.Peoplepronounceddeadhavecome
backtolifesayingtheyheardthelastrites,feltthesheetbeingpulledovertheirfaces.Sincethe
momentofdeathisnotcurrentlyaccuratelydiscernable,whatisanacceptabledefinitionof
deathandtimeofdeath?Inthe30sitwasheartbeat.Wasthatcruelthenandisourdefinitionof
inabilitytoregainlife(shotintheheart,severeelectricshock,druginducedstoppedbreathing)
cruelnow?
10. Dowe,asasociety,condonecrueltylikethiswhendoneonapersonallevel(i.e.unsanctioned
murder)and,ifnot,whydowecondoneitasasociety?
11. Doweneedareal,scientific,definitionofdeathand,thereby,howtogetthemechanisminto
thatstateasquicklyandpainlesslyaspossible?Orisiteasiertoacceptadrowningmanas
alreadydeadforallintentsandpurposesandoverlookthepainandsufferingintheprocess?
12. Ifthelawissupposedtobefairandimpartial,butthedeathlawsarebasedonpartialfacts,
whendoesthelawfallintodisreputetoanextentthatunderminessocietyasawhole?

Mypersonalopiniononallthisdoesnotmatter.Whatdoesmatteristhatsocietyisgrapplingwith
thisproblemwithoutallthefactsandknowledgeneeded,somequestionsofwhicharelistedabove,but
bynomeansall.Weallneedtoaskmorequestionsandthenforma(political)consensusunderthelaw.
Untilthathappens,wewillcontinueguessingatasolutionwhileweshoot,gas,injectandelectrocute
theconvicteduntilweknowbetter.