In the state of Alabama the death penalty has become a great obsession for various reasons. The death penalty has been deeply rooted in Alabama throughout time. Before there was the electric chair defendants were hung by the neck on the courthouse steps. During this horrible events the citizens of that county stood in the streets and watched. Through time this obsession has not changed, but escalated. Alabama being stuck in it's old deep south ways, defends it's state electric chair known as "Yellow Mama". Alabama is first in the amount of death row inmates per capita.

If you follow through Alabama's past you will find that it’s been stuck in it's old ways for sometime. From the courthouse lynchings to the electric chair today. Alabama is a stubborn state and does not want to change it's ways unless forced to. The people of Alabama hold strong to it's history and Alabama's government holds strong to it's obsession for death. The death penalty matters in the state of Alabama, because it is history. A state that displays a replica of it's electric chair "Yellow Mama", sends a message that it appreciates and supports it's death penalty.

In the state of Alabama the death penalty has become a political tool. Many politicians use the death penalty to work their ways up into higher offices. During elections the television is full of commercials of politicians saying they are hard on crime. Some have even go far enough to brag about sending a death row inmate to his death. The death penalty is no longer a issue of justice, but an issue of political gain and state sanctioned murder.

Will this obsession ever change? Only if the people begin to see what's really going on. The citizens of Alabama have to see the death penalty for what it is. It has proved itself not to be a deterrent to crime. Until the people open their eyes and study the death penalty for what it is, the killing will go on. If so, Alabama will maintain it's reputation as a "slow backwoods" state that is stubborn in it's ways and it's obsessions.

The death penalty in the twenty-first century has become fueled by politics. The death penalty being the one issue that society has mixed feelings about, allows space for politics to abuse It. When the death penalty was reinstated, it was intended for the most vicious and unthinkable murders. Now with the death penalty being politically motivated, it is now being applied to murders it was not intended for.

With society being split on their views of the death penalty politicians have found a way to manipulate its cause. Politicians that have the reputation of being tough on crime have worked to convince society that we need the death penalty. When politics becomes involved in the taking of a life, it is a dangerous and deadly mixture. If a politician will go to any extreme to gain popularity or political office, the appreciation for human life diminishes. Politics blinds the eyes to the value of human life. Once this has happened, lives are lost and society is cheated.

In 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated, it was intended for the most vicious and unthinkable crimes of murder. Through time this has changed dramatically. Now capital murder charges can be pursued in many types of murder cases. This is because it is now being left up to the prosecutors office to try a defendant for capital murder. It is also left to the discretion of the prosecutor to seek the death penalty. This has also become an act of politics. Even prosecutors and judges search for political gain. Prosecutors become judges and judges become Supreme Court judges. If you take away the political gain, you have to think would the death penalty then be a applied more fairly?

Citizens across the U.S. need to become aware of the Injustice politics has caused with the death penalty. It is sad that we wait until we are affected personally, when a family member or friend is facing the death by the state. This happens everyday, and until we as society make the politicians change their ways, the deadly mixture of the death penalty and politics will continue to explode throughout our cities and families.

I would like to send out my deepest sympathies to all families who lost loved ones on tho September 11th attack on the U.S. We all as Americans were affected and saddened by such an horrific act. We all are nursing our wounds mentally and physically. In the midst of recovery, we all must realize that there Is "hope" and should take this time to reassess our values and moralities.

For the first time in my life I was able to witness us as a people, coming together as a portrait of the true America. Slowly but surely things are getting back to normal. In the midst of the turnoil, I hope that during our coming together as a people and a nation, many of us also realiza our nation and government is in need of true healing, and that all life should be valued and considered sacred.

Many lives have been lost in these attacks, with no discretion of race, creed; color or nationality. I now value life a lot more than I did before the attacks and feel that we all should. Killing our own daily in our nations gas chamber, by lethal injections and electrocution is showing no respect for life. Whether innocent life or not this is life and its sacred.

The need for justice doesn't exist in society anymore it has turned to anger and vengeance. Is it part of the human nature to have this desire for revenge? Is it revenge that the terrorist were fueled off of that lead to so many lives being lost? Within each of us, we strong willed Americans must ask ourselves, is it ravenge that we now seek? These are the questions we all should ask ourselves, even the world abroad.

This fight for peace will always be, but it must first start within ourselves, our homes, our cities, and our nation's govarnment; then and only then can there be world peace; no more killing and no more tears shed by our children, mothers, and fathers. Undoubtedly, thare is indeed hope for us all.

May God bless our nation and our world.

Tha death penalty has continued to claim lives that could have been saved. The lives lost are the lives of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends. Many who support the death penalty say that it's needed to rid the world of the vicious murderer. When speaking in favor of tha death penalty it seems so easy to wish this state sanctioned murder on someone else. What if the shoe was on the other foot? If it were your family member facing the death penally would you still support it? Even some who have supported the death penalty have found themselves on death row.

With the shoe being on tha other foot now, you see first hand what affect the death penalty has on the families involved. Now you have to watch and read the media reports of people wishing you to your death. Now you have to experience telling your children that you won't be coming home and why. Now you have to wipe away the tears of your mother and see the pain that you have burdened her with.

Having supported the death penalty before, now do you believe you should die? You now realize It's not as simple as it seemed. You are living the reality of something you' ve supported. You now have to listen to the politicians you gave your vote to talk about sending you to your death. Now what is it you can do to help yourself ? You'll find that there is little help for you. You now have to struggle and fight tooth and nail to save your life. Now you regret the things you said. You regret sending others to their deaths. Everything seems to change when the shoe is on the other foot. Before you support the death penalty think of what it would be like if it were you.

Walk a day in my shoes and your opinions will change.

By: Nicholas Acklin

The death penalty in the year 2002; offers little or no benefits. The death penalty is not being used for what it was intended for. Pro death penalty supporters, that have not truly studied the death penalty, will have you think the death penalty works.

From a pro death penalty perspective, the death penalty offers closure to tha victims' families. If this ia true why have so many come forth saying the pain and anger remains, even after the defendant has bean put to death. Is it that pro death penalty supporters convince families into believing this is the right thing to do, or is the family just out for revemge? When a family member's life has been taken there will always be the grief of them being gone. With this in mind closure can never be reached.

From a pro death penalty perspective, the death penalty is a deterant to other crime. If a state has the death penalty, others will be afraid to commit crimes that could lead them to death row. Should this statement be true, then why does state a with the death penalty lead those states without the death penalty in annual murder rates? The truth ia daterance is just something death penalty supporters would have the public to believe.

Can capital punishment truly be a benefit to anyone? Maybe only to those who make a living off of it. Besides the lawmakers and those who enforce the laws, everyone else stands to lose. In reality a pro death penalty perspective is just what supporters would have others believe. Before you support something that involves death, you should study it for yourself only then will you benefit. It's much better to give life than give death.

Recently U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft decided to seek the death penalty in the case of Marion Gabrion Jr.. This decision was made against the wishes of federal prosecutors within the state of Michigan. The state of Michigan has outlawed the death penalty since 1846. Michigan is proud of this tradition and wishes to maintain its beliefs on the death penalty. The decision of Mr. Ashcroft is unfair to both the defendant and to the state of Michigan. If the death penalty is sought and handed down to Mr. Gabrion it will show how unfairly the death penalty is administered and how power in government is being abused.

Mr. Gabrion is charged with the murder of 19 year- old Racheal Timmerman. Timmerman's body was found in Oxford Lake which is in Manistec National Forest. This area is both federally and privately owned. The federal authorities claimed jurisdiction making it a federal case. If this crime had been committed on state property then there would be no chance of the death penalty being imposed. Jurisdiction is not the problem though. The problem is the state of Michigan doesn't carry the death penalty, and Mr Ashcroft has rode in on his high horse to go against the wishes of the state.

Mr. Ashcroft has ignored the wishes and recommendations of prosecutors and has his heart set en following through with his decision to impose the death penalty. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Dettmer before resigning in January recommended against the death penalty in the Gabrion case. Even U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell is skeptical in seeking death. With the state of Michigan being totally against Mr. Ashcrofts decision, why hasn't Mr. Ashcroft realized that he and his hunger for blood is not wanted in Michigan? What are Mr. Ashcroft's true motives for seeking death in this case?

I think it is all part of his goal to stay in the public eye. The citizens of Michigan don't want the blood of Marion Gidrion Jr. on their hands. Obviously Mr. Ashcroft enjoys the color of what taking a man's life leaves on his hands. If not, why would he defy the beliefs and decisions of others and stand so strongly and hell bent on his decision?

Politicians say the reason we have the death penalty is because the people want it. It is clear the state of Michigan doesn't want it. Mr. Ashcroft you have reached your goal of being in the public eye, but what the American people, especially the citizens of Michigan, see you as is defiant and disrespectful. Be careful of what you wish for. We the people are seeing your other face. This is just another showing of this great countries hypocrisy and abuse of power.

Governor John Engler, a confidant of President Bush, has consistently stood and supported the ban of the death penalty in his state. At some point the power trip has to end Mr. Ashcroft. President Bush needs to make good on his administrations promise to respect the pecogatives of the states and their governments, or there will be more problems to come. I say Mr. Bush you need to check the leashes on your dogs. To Mr. Ashcroft, no matter how much you may bark or bite NO means NO in the state of Michigan. Why don't you spend tax payers dollars more wisely and go bark up sorne other tree. Ashcroft!! Bad Dog!

The death penalty, a system used by our nation to rid the world of murderers convicted of the most unthinkable acts. A system that has been a part of U, S. history for decades. Now in the twenty-first century we find the death penalty being handed down to crimes not even comparable to those it was intended to be for. It's no longer a matter of justice, but now a matter of revenge and political gain.

Tlie death penatly was reinstated in 1976. Now in the 2002, 38 of the 50 U.S. states have the death penalty leaving just 12 without it. The means of execution has been questioned time and time again, leaving some stales with different methods of executing their inmates. Politics has led the people lo believe a less painful execution is a more humane way of executing inmates. If you are not into politics enough to understand them, you'd easily be fooled. Whoever said that any mean of taking life is humane. If it is state sanctioned, does this make it humane to take another's life ? This is something politicians don't want the public to focus on, so along comes the "smoke and mirrors". Politicians have used smoke screens such as "our streets will be safer" and "taking this life will set an example to others who may follow". In the 38 states that have the death penalty, the murder rates are higher, but it's something that you are never told. The death penally is a meal ticket for politicians seeking career advancements.

Why should we let death row inmates live? We should for many reasons: First and foremost, because we can't be sure if a inmate is truly innocent or guiity. This ineans that innocent life is at risk and by so many recent exonerations there's evidence that innocent lives have been taken. Secondly, it is very costly to send a person to trial, appeals, and execution. The state of Texas spends over 2 million dollars an inmate. This is money that can build schools to educate our children and programs to prevent them from becoming imprisoned. Why wait until they are state property when we can prevent it? It's estimated to cost $200,000 dollars to house an inmate for the rest of his / her life. So why not let death row inmates live?

Why should we let death row inmates die? Some politicians would have you to think it's the best solution to our problems. We all hear that it is supposed to bring closure to the family of the victims It's just another smoke screen that is placed before you. There is never any closure for the victims family and with taking another's life it leaves another family without closure. It's very easy to be deceived if you are not aware of the issues surrounding the death penalty. During each election, you see that all politicians vow to be hard on crime, and judges bragging that "they denied a death row inmates appeals". Thi, a should be the first warning sign. Anyone who brags about sending another to his / her death has no value for human life. These are the people who are elected into office. They tell you the people want the death penalty, but if the majority switched and was against the dealii penalty, what would these politicians do? Of course they would immediately be against the death penalty. All they want is your vote by whatever means it takes to get it. Each time a man or woman is executed, it's in the name of the people.

So do you want them killing for you? So why should we let death row inmates die?