The Death Penalty Debate

"If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call."

John McAdams - Marquette University/Department of Political Science, on deterrence

1.	Frontline - Angel on Death Row

2.	Pro-Death Penalty

3.	Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime?

4.	Capital Punishment on Trial, Which Side Is Correct?

5.	What About Capital Punishment?

"If we design a legal system that will be so generous to the suspect that there is absolutely no possibility of unjustly convicting that one out of ten thousand defendants who, in spite of overwhelming evidence, is really innocent, then we have also designed a legal system that is utterly incapable of convicting the other 9999 about whose guilt there is no mistake."
-- G. Edward Griffin in The Great Prison Break

Methods of Execution by Country

The death penalty debate in the U.S. is dominated by the fraudulent voice of the anti-death penalty movement. The culture of lies and deceit so dominates that movement that many of the falsehoods are now wrongly accepted as fact, by both advocates and opponents of capital punishment. ( cont'd )

"I would like to say that I did not kill Bobby Lambert. That I'm an innocent black man that is being murdered.

This lynching is happening in America tonight. There's overwhelming and compelling evidence of my defense that has never been heard in any court of America. What is happening here is an outrage for any civilized country to anybody anywhere to look at what's happening here is wrong.

I thank all the people that have rallied to my cause. They've been standing in support of me. Who have finished with me.

I say to Lambert's family, I did not kill Bobby Lambert. You are pursuing the execution of an innocent man.

I want to express my sincere thanks to all ya'll. We must continue to stay strong all around the world, and people must come together to stop the systematic killing of poor and innocent black people. We must continue to stand together in unity and to demand a moratorium on all executions.

We must not let this murder/lynching be forgotten tonight, my brothers. We must take it to the nation. We must keep our faith. We must go forward. We recognize that many leaders have died. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and others who stood up for what was right. They stood up for what was just.

We must, you must, brothers, that's why I have called you here today. You must carry on that condition. What is here is just a lynching that is taking place. But they're going to keep on lynching us for the next 100 years, if you do not carry on that tradition, and that period of resistance.

We will prevail. We may lose this battle but we will win the war. This death, this lynching will be avenged. It will be avenged, it must be avenged. The people must avenge this murder.

So, my brothers, all of ya'll stay strong, continue to move forward. Know that I love you. I love the people, I love all of you for your blessing, strength, for your courage, for your dignity, the way you have come here tonight...

We will go forward. Our destiny is this country is freedom and liberation. We will gain our freedom and our liberation by any means necessary. By any means necessary, we will keep marching forward.

I love you Mr. Jackson, Bianca, make sure that the state does not get my body. Make sure that we get my name as Shaka Sankofa. My name is not Gary Graham. Make sure that it is properly presented on my grave.

Shaka Sankofa did not kill Bobby Lambert, and the truth is going to come out. It will be brought out, I want you to take this thing off in to the international court Mr. Mohammad and ya'll. I want you, I want to get my family and take this down to the international court and file a lawsuit.

Get all the videotapes of all the beatings. They have beat me up in the back. They have beat me up at the unit over there. Get all the videotapes supporting the lawsuit. And make the public exposed to the genocide and this brutal world, and let the world see what is really happening behind closed doors. You must get those videotapes. You must make it exposed this injustice to the world. You must continue to demand a moratorium on all executions.

We must move forward Minster Robert Mohammad. Ashanti Chimurenga, I love you for standing with me, my sister. You are a strong warrior queen. You will continue to be strong in everything that you do. Believe in yourself, you must hold you head up, in the spirit of Winnie Mandela.

Ya'll must move forward. We will stop this lynching. Reverend Al Sharpton, I love you my brother. Bianca Jagger, I love you. Ya'll make sure that we continue to stand together. Reverend Jesse Jackson, and know that this is murder, this lynching will not be forgotten. I love you, too, my brother.

This is genocide in America. This is what happens to black men when they stand up and protest for what is right and just. We refuse to compromise, we refuse to surrender the dignity for what we know is right.

But we will move on, we have been strong in the past. We will continue to be strong as a people. You can kill a revolutionary, but you cannot stop the revolution. The revolution will go on. The people will carry the revolution on.

You are the people that must carry that revolutionary on in order to liberate our children from this genocide and from what is happening here in America tonight. What has happened for the last 100 or so years in America. This is part of the genocide, this is the part of the African Holocaust, that we as black people have endured in America.

But we shall overcome, we will continue with this. We will continue, we will gain freedom and liberation, by any means necessary. Stay strong. They cannot kill us. We will move forward.

To my sons, to my daughters, all of you. I love all of you. You have been wonderful. Keep you heads up. Keep moving forward. Keep united. Maintain the love and unity in the community. And know that victory is assured.

We will gain our freedom and liberation in this country. We will gain it and we will do it by any means necessary. We will keep marching. March on black people. Preach the moratorium for all executions.

We're gonna stop, we are going to end the death penalty in this country. We are going to end it all across this world. Push forward people. And know that what ya'll are doing is right. What ya'll are doing is just.

This is nothing more than pure and simple murder. This is what is happening right here in America, and right here tonight. This is what is happening, my brothers. Nothing less.

They cannot acknowledge my innocence, because to do so would be to publicly admit their guilt. This is something these racist people will never do. We must remember, brothers, this is what we're faced with. You must take this endeavor forward.

You must stay strong. You must continue to hold your heads up, and to be there. And I love you too, my brother. All of you who are standing with me in solidarity.

We will prevail. We will keep marching. Keep marching black people. They are killing me tonight.

Since our nation's founding, the government -- colonial, federal and state -- has punished murder and, until recent years, rape with the ultimate sanction: death. (cont'd)

The Death Penalty Debate

The death penalty debate has been going on for years in this country, and around the world. Presented here are some views on the death penalty along with several links to help you make up your own mind.

Discuss this subject on our Amerika Board

Methods of Execution by Country