The Innocence Project and the ACLU: Call for Justice by Rashad

Imagine if one out of every ten flights ended in tragedy—no society would tolerate such risk. Yet, according to The Innocence Project, roughly two out of every ten executed individuals in America are innocent. Despite this staggering rate of wrongful executions, public indifference continues largely because many feel personally unaffected. However, the death penalty is not merely about the condemned individuals; it's about the moral fabric of our society.

America's criminal justice system is deeply rooted in brutality, bias, racism, and economic exploitation. Execution sites, such as those in Alabama and Terre Haute, Indiana, symbolize broader issues within a system plagued by racial prejudice and economic dependence on incarceration. The prison industry has become vital to local economies, fueling a relentless cycle of mass incarceration.

In 1972, the U.S. incarcerated around 300,000 people. Today, that number surpasses 2.4 million—more than any other nation, including countries with populations exceeding 1.4 billion, like China and India. This exponential growth disproportionately targets young Black men, devastating communities, fragmenting families, and distorting justice in favor of wealth and race.

Politicians often avoid addressing the systemic racism and economic exploitation inherent in our criminal justice system. In states like Alabama, where 34% of Black men have permanently lost their voting rights, the silence from those in power is deafening.

The fundamental flaw of capital punishment is human fallibility. Only God is infallible; humans are inherently influenced by biases, culture, and politics. Mistakes in this system are irreversible—wrongfully executed lives cannot be restored.

The criminal justice system, historically marred by programs like COINTELPRO, intentionally perpetuates injustice. When justice is denied, dignity is stripped away, fueling despair and anger—conditions ripe for further violence. Where do we turn when courts themselves become adversaries to justice?

The time for silence has passed. The system is deeply broken, corrupt, and must be radically reformed. If we allow such injustice to continue unchallenged, we share responsibility for its cruelty. True justice demands accountability and immediate, profound change.