Death Penalty and Race
Your editorial reminded me of my own ignorance as a young white adult in segregated Arkansas.
Having been reared in a sparsely populated rural community where prejudice was not taught in the home, my education began upon moving to the city and into the job market.
A white man, who held some grudge against a black elevator operator, casually walked into the department store where the man was employed and shot him. I naively commented to my boss on the stupidity of risking the death sentence over such trivia.
My boss, deadly serious, asked, “Have you ever heard of a white man getting the chair for killing a Negro?” He was right; the man walked free.
The imbalance of our justice system is but one of the reasons I can never support the death sentence.
LOUISE SMITH
Tujunga
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
