The Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment's recommendation that Maryland abolish the death penalty was a foregone conclusion ("Repeal of death penalty urged," Nov. 13). The committee membership was weighted heavily in favor of those, like state Sen. Jamie Raskin, who vocally oppose capital punishment.
But Mr. Raskin's description of the death penalty as a "system infected with racial disparity and arbitrariness" is inaccurate. There is no "system," as every death penalty case has different facts and is decided in different counties with a different combination of state's attorneys, judges and juries.
Further, opponents once argued for the abolition of the death penalty on the basis that the racial disparity existed among those executed. But after Maryland executed John Frederick Thanos and Steven Howard Oken, they now focus heavily on the skin color of the victims to prove this alleged disparity. But, of course, the Baltimore state's attorney's office has had many opportunities to seek the death penalty in cases involving minority victims but has chosen not to do so.
Darren Margolis, Cockeysville
The governor is now prepared to sign legislation to abolish the death penalty. But while I am not sold on the idea that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime, I do believe it has its place.
There are cases so heinous that the death penalty should be an option. One such situation is the murder of a correctional officer. If we abolish the death penalty, what would we do as a society with a prisoner who is given a life sentence but murders a correctional officer while serving that sentence? Give him another life sentence and hope he doesn't do it again? I guess that's what we will do if Gov. Martin O'Malley has anything to say about it. If that happens, we can chalk up another win for the bad guys and their defense attorneys serving in the state legislature.
Jerry Charles, Westminster
"Repeal of death penalty urged" (Nov. 13) notes that Gov. Martin O'Malley, as a Catholic, is an ardent opponent of the death penalty.
What does Mr. O'Malley's Catholicism have to do with his opposition to executing a few lowlifes, when he is an ardent supporter of the right to abortion, which kills thousands of innocents?
This is just another example of Mr. O'Malley's hypocrisy.
Dan Beres, Perry Hall
The editorial "A needed debate" (Nov. 14) suggests debate is needed on the very important issue of repealing the death penalty. I agree.
