More Reasonable Capital Punishment

The use of the death penalty in this country seems to spark much debate. Many people believe that the death penalty should be abolished because it could execute innocent people. Others argue that the death penalty is a necessary tool to deter criminals. I am not opposed to the death penalty itself but I am opposed to the misuse of the death penalty. The main problem with the death penalty today is the uncertainty that the person convicted committed the crime. Courts sometimes deny DNA testing on evidence, which may rule out the defendant as a possible perpetrator. I find it illogical to not test any DNA evidence available. The goal in prosecuting a person under the death penalty is to make sure that the right person is punished severely for their crimes. One argument I have heard regarding why not to test this type of evidence is that the defendants are only using it as a delaying tactic when they know they have no other options left. This argument is illogical because it is irrelevant when a guilty person is executed. Common wisdom suggests that if the person is guilty he/she will spend an eternity in hell. What is the difference between eternity and two weeks versus eternity and two month or even two years? The answer is none. I believe it is a distinct possibility that the government has already executed at least one innocent person in the last twenty years. I base this on the fact that the courts in Virginia have ruled to not allow DNA testing on evidence after a person has been executed. There is no other logical explanation for this ruling than the government does not want old evidence tested which might show it was wrong and executed innocent people. As to the question of whether or not the death penalty is morally right I would have to agree that under some circumstances it is. A circumstance under which I believe the death penalty to be right is one in which there is no doubt an individual is guilty. These circumstances include: self-defense when a person is actively trying to kill you, serial killers, and murders in which a person leaves evidence of his/her presence at the scene and has been video taped or there are many credible witnesses in broad daylight. All of these situations have in common an overwhelming certainty that the identity of the perpetrator is known. One more circumstance I will add to this list is in the event a convict kills a guard or another inmate. I add this circumstance because if I did not there would be no further deterrent to prevent inmates serving life in prison from killing again. Many years ago an inmate escaped from a prison in which he was serving a life sentence. He was cornered in a house in Michigan City holding a family hostage. He surrendered to the police after killing the hostages. He received no further punishment because the courts had abolished the death penalty around that time. The problem with the death penalty is not that it exists but that both those who support it and those who want to abolish it apply it improperly.