The Top Ten Death Penalty Myths: The Politics of Crime Control
Rudolph J. Gerber,John M Johnson | 2007-11-30 00:00:00 | Praeger | 256 | Penology
The death penalty remains one of the most controversial issues in the United States. Its proponents claim many things in their defense of its continued application. For example, they claim that it deters crime, that death by lethal injection is painless and humane, that it is racially neutral, and that it provides closure to families of the victims. In this comprehensive review of the major death penalty issues, the authors systematically dismantle each one of these myths about capital punishment in a hard-hitting critique of how our social, political, and community leaders have used fear and myth (symbolic politics) to misrepresent the death penalty as a public policy issue. They successfully demonstrate how our political and community leaders have used myth and emotional appeals to misrepresent the facts about capital executions.
Successive chapters address the following topics: the notion of community bonding, the expectation of effective crime fighting, the desire for equal justice, deterrence, the hope for fidelity to the Constitution, the claim of error-free justice, closure, retribution, cost-effectiveness, and the messianic desires of some politicians. In each of these areas the authors quote from death penalty advocates making these claims and then proceed to analyze and ultimately dismember the claimed advantages of the death penalty.
Reviews
Many great people have lived and spoken about the belief of nonviolence against others. The Top Ten Death Penalty Myths is not a book that preaches this or any kind of ideal on violence. Judge Rudolph J. Gerber (ret) and Prof. John J. Johnson take a non biased view and present a list of ideals that most Americans take for granted when considering the ultimate penalty in their criminal system. All though top ten lists have become an Internet sensation for bloggers, these authors list key points and debate on them with the backing of numerous academic resources and personal experience.
The book starts with the ideal that the death penalty creates a positive experience for the community to unite and bond under. Mr. Gerber and Mr. Johnson show how on the creation of the United States, executions were a common public event. Who could pass up free public entertainment in the football-less afternoons of the late 18th century? As time goes on, these executions are moved from the public view into the back corners of prisons away from the public eye. Since no one can see these executions, how can we hold onto the idea that a community bond is being formed. Could we even imagine the field day lawyers and support groups would have with public executions in this day and age? Myth after myth is debated and pointed out for it's inconsistencies to put together an eye opening read on the concept of giving death in the current era of criminal justice.
The list of topics debated are,
1. The Myth of Community Bonding
2. The Myth of the Rule of Law in Capital Cases
3. The Myth of Equal Justice
4. The Myth of Deterrence
5. The Myth of Fidelity to the Constitution
6. The Myth of Humane Execution
7. The Myth of Closure
8. The Myth of Retribution
9. The Myth of Effective Crime Control
10. The Myth of the Dedicated Public Servant
Not only is the book presented in a professional manner, but a bibliography at the end of each chapter is presented with personal notes for verification and starting points on continued exploration. I never felt like I was being preached to or having an idea pushed down my throat. A number of the chapters gave me new insight into the concept of capital punishment through the current legal system and how that effects the United States on many different levels.
Regardless of the kind of punishment you deem appropriate for convicted murders, this book will show you the fallacies of the capital punishment system in America. It is a great read that will be appreciated by anyone looking to understand the criminal justice system or challenge the hold of ignorance in our daily lives. This is not a book on revenge, it is about retribution under the best goals for the public and how miss guided individuals have formed convoluted ideas that polluted common beliefs.
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