South Carolina man facing death penalty chooses firing squad over electric chair
PBS NewsHourJUL 2022
Moore fatally shot store clerk James Mahoney during a fracas in a botched robbery; he didn't intend to commit murder. Even a dissenting Supreme Court justice has questioned whether capital punishment, which is supposed to be reserved for the most heinous crimes in American society, is appropriate.
Moore robbed a store with the intention of stealing money to support a cocaine habit. He shot an innocent man in the chest and stepped twice over his lifeless body, claiming, at the time, that he acted in self-defense. The punishment here is proportionate to the crime.
Capital punishment is a barbaric affair that compounds violence with violence. It eliminates any possibility of rehabilitation, drains tax dollars, and revictimizes a murder victim's loved ones. The death penalty is no more effective at ensuring a safe society than a life sentence - it needs re-examining.