Florida Wins, Texas Comes in Second, while America Loses its Common Sense and Respect for Human Life

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

As a young man I thought I believed in the death penalty for first degree murder and treason. However, age makes most humans wiser because we are more aware of certain facts.

First, I learned that the death penalty was not a deterrent for the crime of murder. For many men and women serving life without parole, death would be a relief.

Second, the number of death sentences which have been overturned in the last 20-30 years is astounding and makes me wonder how many innocent men and women have been put to death unfairly.

Finally, there is no doubt that America’s penal system is the cruelest and most ineffective in the world. Our prisons contain 25 percent of all incarcerated men and women on the planet although we have less than five percent of the world’s population. Our nation’s recidivism rate is by far the highest in the world at 70-80 percent. Norway has about 20 percent.

If just one man or woman is put to death, and it was later discovered that he or she was innocent, that is a crime of unimaginable cruelty and shame.

However, Florida and Texas pride themselves on their execution rates.

Two Texas governors hold the record for executing the largest number of individuals on death row in history: George W. Bush and Rick Perry.

However, the fascist Governor of Florida is leading the way in 2025 with the execution of nine men. Across the nation, more people have been put to death in less than seven months than during the entire year of 2024.

The penal system of the United States is focused on punishment, not rehabilitation. This is the reason for an unforgivable recidivism rate and for the number of human beings killed for a variety of offenses.

One final statistic. Republicans have long taken the position that “poverty does not result in crime.” The average income of all inmates prior to their incarceration was $19,650.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/desantis-florida-record-executions-rcna222733

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-u-s-is-executing-more-people-this-year-and-florida-is-leading-the-way