La Pena De Muerte En Los Estados Unidos

Support of the Death Penalty – A Black/White Issue?
There seems to be a significant difference between Whites and African Americans when it comes to the support of the death penalty. Numerous studies have shown that White individuals are generally more supportive of the death penalty than African Americans. A 2007 Gallup survey documents an approval rate of 73% among Whites, versus 40% amongAfrican Americans. The results of the studies suggest that race does matter when looking at the level of support for capital punishment and the attitudes toward supporting or opposing the death penalty. These results are relevant only if we explore and truly understand the reasons why people support or oppose capital punishment. It is not possible to discuss the death penalty in America withouttalking about race. There are major motives for supporting or opposing the death penalty and reasons behind the different positions of African Americans and Whites on those motives.
According to Baker, Lambert and Jenkins, some of the major reasons for supporting the death penalty are “deterrence, retribution, law and order, and incapacitation” (205). Supporters of the death penalty believe thatexecuting a murderer is more of a deterrent than life in prison. Others appeal to the eye for an eye argument by arguing that murderers deserve the death penalty because they have taken a life. Furthermore, there is a strong belief that the death penalty is vital to preserve law and order in society and to maintain stability. It is also argued that somebody who kills once will do it again. Bysentencing murderers to the death penalty, society will guarantee that the crime will not be repeated and harm new victims.
Baker, Lambert and Jenkins also state that the major reasons for opposing the death penalty are: it is considered immoral, administrative/justice concerns, and the belief that it encourages further violence. The death penalty is considered immoral by its opponents, as it breaks theprinciples of dignity and humanity present in a developed society. There are also concerns about the administrative/justice issues, including the danger of sentencing to death an innocent individual and the risk of unjustly imposing the death penalty on minorities and the underprivileged. According to Richard C. Dieter in his “Struck by Lightning” report, “One of the strongest determinants of whogets the death penalty is the race of the victim in the underlying murder. If one kills a white person, one is far more likely to get the death penalty than if it is a member of a minority who has been killed. This has been demonstrated for at least 25 years, and reinforced by careful statistical studies in almost all death penalty states and by several review commissions” (22). Lastly, opponentsof the death penalty argue that it only leads to more violence rather than accomplishing the expected goal of discouraging criminals from committing crimes.
It is important to not only understand the reasons for supporting or opposing the death penalty but also the motives behind those reasons. When it comes down to Whites and African Americans in this country there are some significantdifferences in their attitudes towards the death penalty. According to Baker, Lambert and Jenkins, White people are more prone to show irritation when a murderer is not given the death penalty as they feel that society is entitled to look for retribution and that the death penalty is the proper punishment since appealing to the eye for an eye argument. They also believe that the death penalty is importantto preserve law and order. African Americans on the other hand, tend to believe that capital punishment opens the door to more violence and that it exhibits unkindness by society. They feel that the death penalty is directed towards minorities and the underserved. These differences in opinion arise in observations of police behavior and a series of policy interpretations on how the criminal...