by Cynthia Tavares

Created on: January 25, 2010

The age old adage "an eye for an eye" seems very cliche when discussing the death penalty. Not only is it cliche, but I don't think the true meaning of this saying is ever realized, in relation to a criminal and his/her punishment.

"An eye for an eye" eludes to: If you take my eye, then so shall yours be taken. The concept of the death penalty is a stellar one, however, the process in which it is carried out is extremely flawed. Observe the following scenario:

A 26 year old man kidnaps, rapes, tortures and ultimately murders an 8 year old girl. She was dealt a violent, and excruciating death filled with fear, pain, terror, and helplessness. It took her 26 minutes to die.

At trial, a jury convicts and sentences him to the death penalty. But when? How?

For the next 17 years, he will sit in a prison cell. He will receive correspondence from his loved ones. He will see 17 more Christmas', and birthdays. He will receive 3 square meals a day. He will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He will never really think about that 8 year old girl, except when he becomes resentful towards her for his imprisonment. He will spend countless tax dollars appealing his conviction, until his day of dying is finally at hand, and all appeal are exhausted.

He is escorted into a room. There are windows for viewing. He is placed on a padded table and his head, arms and legs are restrained. Very gently, a needle is placed into his arm. It isn't more than a tiny pinch. One medication after the other in a very specified sequence, is introduced into his circulatory system so as to not cause him any pain at all. By the time the lethal injection is introduced into his body, he is already sleeping like a baby. Painless. Peaceful. Unjust.

In the last several years, lethal injection has been questioned and challenged as being inhumane. It has been labeled cruel and unusual punishment. Apparently if a murderer has to be poked more than once by the needle to find his vein, then it becomes a painful process, and therefore becomes inhumane. There are countless human rights organizations rallying to support this ludicrous movement. Their goal: To abolish the death penalty all together.

In touching on this subject, another process of thought comes to mind: Failure as a deterrent to capital crime. A murderer knows that he/she will be sitting on death row for a very long time. Maybe even indefinitely. What is there to fear besides captivity?

Perhaps I am one of those few individuals that really

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