Next Tuesday, there is a referendum on the ballot to re-enact the death penalty in Wisconsin. We believe there are countless reasons to vote ""No,"" and encourage students to cast their vote as such on Nov. 7.
In 1853, Wisconsin abolished the death penalty following the botched execution of John McCaffary, who was charged with drowning his wife in a bucket.
According to the Wisconsin Bar Association, McCaffary was hanged in front of a crowd of 3,000 who watched in ""awed silence"" as the hanging went wrong and McCaffary struggled in midair for more than 10 minutes after the noose dropped.
There are ample reasons, aside from the obvious moral concerns, to reject the referendum. Primarily, reinstating the death penalty would be overly costly for the state.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, trials which the death penalty is a sentencing option cost 48 percent more than trials in which prosecutors seek life imprisonment.
Also, we should learn a lesson from our southern neighbor. According to Fox News, in 2000, former Illinois Gov. George Ryan issued a moratorium for all 167 prisoners on death row after learning of more than one faulty conviction. He said he would rather have 166 guilty men live than condemn one innocent man to death—we agree.
We believe the punishment of life in prison is more severe than the punishment of execution. Incarceration is unpleasant and mind-numbing. It is more appropriate to sentence a criminal to this punishment than an escape from this punishment. Also, there is no evidence the death penalty serves as a deterrent.
Finally, according to the DPIC, courts are more reluctant to convict if they know that the death penalty will be the outcome.
For these reasons, we believe a ""No"" vote for the death penalty referendum is mandated next week.
