The new millenium has ushered in many wonderful things for the world to look forward to such as new advances in medical science, food production technology, and communication systems that allow even the most remote places on earth to a wealth of information instantly. However, many places around the world have taken three steps back in human rights for every step taken in technological advances. Capital punishment heads up this A-list if you will, of crimes against humanity that are carried out in the name of justice each and every day globally. We are inundated with images of violence and so-called reality based TV shows that use shock value to get ratings. Years of exposure to this type of media have numbed the senses and devalued human life to the point of having complacent and apathetic views towards death and by attrition; capital punishment.In our fast food age we want everything right now: cell phones, pagers, Internet access in our cars, drive-through restaurants, pizza, and of course justice. This instant gratification comes with high price tag. According to the Dept. of Justice’s Subcommittee on Federal Death Penalty Cases, “…the average cost of cases not seeking the death penalty average $55,772…and the average cost of death penalty convictions are $218,112”. This does not include reimbursement for non-attorney fees such as investigators and expert witnesses, which average $269,139 for capital trials and only $9,159.The costs of state executions vary depending on the financial status of the person accused and length of the appeals process. However, the most comprehensive study done by two public policy professors at North Carolina’s Duke University, revealed that the costs of capital punishment are staggering. According to James McCloskey author of “The Death Penalty Should Be Eliminated”, the study released in 1993 focused on all the death penalty cases in 1991 and 1992 (77 t...
