America Without the Death Penalty: States Leading the Way

by John F. Galliher and Larry W. Koch

Book Overview

In recent years, American politicians have learned the peril of actively opposing the death penalty. During the 1988 Presidential race, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis stumbled in the polls... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555536395
• ISBN13: 9781555536398
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Northeastern University Press
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The author reveals

Northeastern University Press was kind enough to furnish two copies of this book to me and I saw exactly what several reviewers seized upon when they wrote on this collection of essays. Yes, the essays are not very well connected, as more than four people contributed bits and pieces to this work. No, the polish one normally sees in collections of this nature is missing. However, the theme that comes through is that race-class politics have and continue to be a big part of the abolition movement of the death penalty in the United States. Unlike my colleagues, I am a supporter, in theory, of punishing bad people who do terrible things. Unfortunately, executions in the US are undeniably flawed, fraught with corruption, and dependent on the worst sort of UnAmerican bias possible. After viewing my own book, I was again sickened by the evidence that innocent people have met their deaths at the hands of state/federal governments that use my money and do their dirty, incompetent business in my name. Any real American should be outraged by the idea that the greatest system of justice in the world is being undermined by individuals who use executions to pave their personal career paths. When one remembers this, it is truly difficult to worry about a few factual errors or some editorial mistakes. If you are supporting the death penalty in the United States you had better think again-it's a serious mistake. The condemned are not beautiful, heroic, or even innocent, just small people who make very serious mistakes. These people are being executed because they are poor, black, or without influential friends and families. If anyone doubts this just count the number of middle class or rich people on death rows in this country and you will know that abolition is the only possible answer if fair treatment is ever a reality. (1/03)-If anyone cares, New York is soon to use its capital punishment law for the first time since 1963 where a man will die at the hands of the state. This is no reason to celebrate. It's another example of a politician (Pataki) who has misused his power in taking the lives of the poorest individuals among us. The death penalty in NY has always been a human tragedy, as the state executed 12 teenagers between 1940 and 1960, while taking the lives of dozens of young men under the age of 23. There is no reason to believe that the current political situation in NY would yield different results if the pro-death people are left to their own devices again. (9/04) Thank God NY has come to its senses!