Abolish the Death Penalty

In light of the recent execution of Troy Davis, it is high time that the United States abolish this barbaric practice at the federal level. The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. It psychologically tortures the men and women on death row. It is not proven to be a good deterrent of crime. It sends a message that justice equals violence. It is used disproportionately against black defendants, and it is used disproportionately in cases where the murder victim was white. It is inherently unequal--one convicted murderer will get life and another will get death for no reason other than the personal ideologies of the jury and the judge. It is more expensive than a life-sentence. And if an innocent prisoner dies, an acquittal after execution does no one any good.