Prop 34: The fate of the Death Penalty

The United States is one of only four industrialized democracies that still practice capital punishment. This upcoming election, Prop 34 will determine the fate of the death penalty in California.

Alexandra Gross’ personal essay, “My Childhood Pen-Pal Was an Innocent Man on Death Row,” raises ethical and thought provoking questions surrounding capital punishment. Gross decries:

“My lifelong friendship with an innocent man on death row means that I have always been deeply opposed to the death penalty. I talk to people about it a lot these days with Proposition 34 and I urge them to vote ‘yes.’ Those who favor it often say it’s too slow and expensive. I always think: ‘If we had a quick cheap death penalty, Paris would have been killed.'”

Remember Alex’s pen-pal, Paris, when you vote on Prop 34 this November 6th.  There are 725 people currently on death row, and many to come, whose fate is in our hands.

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Pat Johnson is currently working on his master’s in Fiction Writing at San Francisco State University, and is the owner and editor of the satirical news website The New Porker. When Pat’s not reading or writing he’s likely squeezing a lime into a Tecate and headed to the dance floor. He also creates short films, documentaries, and sketch comedies. Pat is completing his first novel, The Virgin and Marilyn Monroe, and writing a book of Creative Non-Fiction short stories.

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