I want to preface what I'm about to say by expressing that life without parole is basically eventual death in prison. That being said...
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James Holmes, an middle class, well-educated white man walked into a theater and MURDERED 24 PEOPLE. He walked away unscathed.
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James Holmes wasn't suspicious enough get shot. Not suspicious enough to die in a squad car. Not suspicious enough to be dead in his cell.
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Not only has James Holmes enjoyed a fair arrest, treatment, and trial. He was also spared the death penalty. Because white.
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There are only three people on death row in Colorado. All three are black—in a state where only 4% of the population is black.
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I don't know why we don't think about the intersection of race and the death penalty more often. But
#BlackLivesMatter
on death row, too. -
When it comes to the death penalty, black men are grossly overrepresented in sentencing and in executions. But that's not all.
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The race of the victim is just as important: if the victim is white, the defendant is much more likely to be sentenced to death.
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James Holmes was given the benefit of the doubt by the state and all those who animate it. Not everyone gets that chance.
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The state (cops, attorneys, judge, jury) was able to see James Holmes as a human being. Wish they're able to see black people that way too.
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In 2014, 35 people were executed. Although they make up 13% of population, 51% of those executed were black. 69% of the victims were white.
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@aurabogado whereas the Boston bomber was sentenced to death in a state which doesn't have a death penalty... Coherency anyone?Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@aurabogado since 1997, though there are four people on death row. They've only executed one person since 1967. (I saw a documentary on CNN)Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@aurabogado I think there were people on the jury who said they could give the death penalty, but really couldn't. CO hasn't executed anyoneThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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