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