October 10, 2011 marks the Ninth Annual World Day Against the Death Penalty. The death penalty is falling out of favor everywhere in the world – except here. Elsewhere, whether other countries or other states, where governments are not allowed to punish killing with more killing, the homicide rates are lower. Here, where homicide is legitimized when committed in the name of the state, violence begets more violence.

Why does Arizona have one of the busiest “death houses” in the country? Is it because when we kill a prisoner we have made ourselves safer? No. All the evidence contradicts that claim. Is it because we are frugal taxpayers and cannot suffer the cost of housing criminals? No. It is far costlier to seek and impose a death sentence than a sentence of life in prison without parole. Is it because vengeance is the highest aspiration of our legal system? No. We have always claimed a presumption of innocence and we require proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” because we believe it is better to let a guilty defendant go free than to punish the innocent.

I believe that Arizona kills more of our own citizens than most other states only because politicians are afraid to be labeled “soft on crime”. It comes down to that.

In a state where the political temperament seems to favor smaller government, we do not flinch at more prisons, more prosecutions, and more executions. We may want less government, but we sure do like our small government to be “tough”.

If it were not so tragic it would be pathetic.

On this World Day Against the Death Penalty please join me in imagining a better world -- a world where no one faces the possibility – or even the threat – of being legally put to death simply because career politicians want to look tough. 

Bob Schwarz is the President of   the Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty