nconsistent with democratic principles. Family and friends of murder victims are further victimized by state killings. Quite a few leaders in the abolishment movement became involved specially because someone they loved was murdered. Family of victims repeatedly stated they wanted the murderer to die. One of the main reasons- in addition to justice- was they wanted all the publicity to be over. Yet. if it wasn't for the sensationalismsurrounding an execution, the media exposure would not have occurred in the first place. Murderers would be quietly and safely put away for life with absolutely no possibility for parole. The death penalty violates constitutional prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment. The grotesque killing of Robert Harris by the state of California on April 21,1992, and similar reports of witnesses to hangings and lethal injections should leave doubt that the dying process can be- and often is-grossly inhumane, regardless of method(Flanders 16). The death penalty is often used for political gain. During his presidential gain, President Clinton rushed home for the Arkansasexecution of Rickey Ray Rector, a mentally retarded, indigent black man. Clinton couldn't take the chance of being seen by voters as " soft on crime." Political Analysts believe that when the death penalty becomes an issue in a campaign, the candidate favoring capital punishment almost inevitably will benefit. Capital punishment discriminates against the poor. Although murderers come from all classes, those on death row are almost without exception poor and were living in poverty at the they were arrested. The majority of death-row inmates were or are represented by court-appointed public defenders- and the state is not obligated to provide an attorney at all for appeals beyond the state level. The application of capital punishment is racist. About 40 percent of death-row inmates are black, whereas only 8 perc...
