In the essay Race, Capital Punishment, and the Cost of Murder by M. Cholbi, the author examines the issue of racial discrimination in capital punishment among African Americans; also, how African Americans murderers are more likely to receive the death penalty over white murderers. The Author believes capital punishment and the death penalty are just punishments for the actions of perpetrators, however the author believes the unequal distribution of capital punishment is not a just action (Cholbi 1). The argument of whether capital punishment is immoral has shifted to if its distribution among criminals is tolerable and just (Cholbi 1). Cholbi states,”I believe that the issue of racial disparities in capital sentencing deserves to be reinvigorated
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Expectations for justice among blacks is higher compared to whites and costs blacks more. Therefore, these actions are unfair to African Americans. The author acknowledges the way a society functions and performs helps determine what an individual expects as far as justice goes (Cholbi 6). Cholbi states, “ the litany of empirical evidence regarding capital punishment makes it justified for African-Americans to form the belief or expectation that the legal system will mete out harsher punishments for African-American Murderers.”; this has caused African Americans to form a belief of African Americans will serve harsher consequences (7). Cholbi creates an example of this injustice in which right hander ad left handers pay different prices at a bakery, the left handers pay twice the price of the right handers(7). Cholbi uses this as an example of the injustice distributed to African Americans …show more content…
America is a just statehood in Cholbi’s view; the Principle of Legality helps to a small level of freedom and protection to the law-abiding people of a country (9). Another act to protect citizens is the Principle of equal status. This is a principle which states “Individuals do not enjoy equal legal status relative to a given crime if (a) the law or legal practices provide different individuals with different expectations about the likely costs of committing that crime, and (b) the differences in expectations are best explained by a factor other than differences in individuals’ desert.”(Cholbi 9). Currently America performs capital punishment without respect to this principle. Cholbi suggests citizens facing different consequences is just; for example, repeat offenders receive tougher penalties than first time offenders do however to serve citizens different sentences because of race is wrong. Therefore, Cholbi’s first argument is African Americans face greater punishment for murder and capital punishment needs a moratorium for this
Expectations for justice among blacks is higher compared to whites and costs blacks more. Therefore, these actions are unfair to African Americans. The author acknowledges the way a society functions and performs helps determine what an individual expects as far as justice goes (Cholbi 6). Cholbi states, “ the litany of empirical evidence regarding capital punishment makes it justified for African-Americans to form the belief or expectation that the legal system will mete out harsher punishments for African-American Murderers.”; this has caused African Americans to form a belief of African Americans will serve harsher consequences (7). Cholbi creates an example of this injustice in which right hander ad left handers pay different prices at a bakery, the left handers pay twice the price of the right handers(7). Cholbi uses this as an example of the injustice distributed to African Americans …show more content…
America is a just statehood in Cholbi’s view; the Principle of Legality helps to a small level of freedom and protection to the law-abiding people of a country (9). Another act to protect citizens is the Principle of equal status. This is a principle which states “Individuals do not enjoy equal legal status relative to a given crime if (a) the law or legal practices provide different individuals with different expectations about the likely costs of committing that crime, and (b) the differences in expectations are best explained by a factor other than differences in individuals’ desert.”(Cholbi 9). Currently America performs capital punishment without respect to this principle. Cholbi suggests citizens facing different consequences is just; for example, repeat offenders receive tougher penalties than first time offenders do however to serve citizens different sentences because of race is wrong. Therefore, Cholbi’s first argument is African Americans face greater punishment for murder and capital punishment needs a moratorium for this