I'm confused. About the value of life.

Executions. I’ve never understood the need to execute anyone. Even for the most heinous crimes. But in America, we execute people virtually every day. It’s been done in different ways. For a while, the favorite method was electrocution. Strapping people in an electric chair. It was supposed to be a quick death. More or less painless. But I never believed that. Left the dead with eyes that popped out. Or with their head set ablaze. Permeated the execution chamber with the nasty and sickening smell of burnt flesh. Finally, we Americans decided it’s more humane to die by lethal injection. But even then, it’s easy to botch things. This week, in Oklahoma, it took a prisoner 43 minutes to die. As he writhe in torturous pain. It’s been  shown, too,  that some innocent people were executed. But still, that’s insignificant  to some staunch advocates of capital punishment. They say it’s reasonable. To expect a few mistakes. I don’t get it. Or maybe I do. Because state-sanctioned murder sounds shameful. Barbaric. Uncivilized.  Another thing. In America, just happens that most of the executed are black or other minorities. And poor, too. That’s the way the justice system works. The rich are better able to manipulate. And save their asses. Leaves me confused. About the value of life. Is a rich ass really worth more than a poor one? –Jim Broede