Bryan Stevenson Discusses the Pause on Federal Executions

IS PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY THAT YET ANOTHER NORM, AND THIS ONE GOES RIGHT TO THE HEART OF LIFE AND DEATH.

YOU KNOW, FOR 17 YEARS NO FEDERAL EXECUTIONS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN 13 SINCE JULY.

WHY DO YOU THINK THIS HAS HAPPENED?

I THINK IT'S, IT'S JUST ONE MORE MANIFESTATION OF THIS REALLY RECKLESS DISPLAY OF POWER.

I THINK WE ARE LIVING AT A TIME WHERE UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR AND ANGER CAUSES PEOPLE TO ACT IN WAYS THAT ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THE VALUES THAT MANY OF US UPHOLD.

YOU KNOW, THESE EXECUTIONS LAST WEEK, BOOK ENDED THE BIRTHDAY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

I CAN THINK OF NOTHING MORE THAT WOULD DISHONOR DR. KING THAN THESE SCHEDULED EXECUTIONS.

THEY COME AT A TIME WHEN OUR AWARENESS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE DEATH PENALTY HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED.

WE HAVE A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT TREATS YOU BETTER IF YOU'RE RICH AND GUILTY THAN IF YOU'RE POOR AND INNOCENT.

AND WE SEE THAT PLAYING OUT WITH PARDONS AND OTHER THINGS.

WE'VE CREATED A SYSTEM THAT IS VERY, VERY BIASED AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR.

THERE IS A PRESUMPTION OF DANGEROUSNESS AND GUILT THAT GETS ASSIGNED TO BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE AT GREATER RISK OF WRONGFUL CONVICTION AND EXECUTION.

AND WITH ALL OF THAT KNOWLEDGE, AND THEN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT A THOUSAND AMERICANS ARE DYING A DAY FROM COVID, THOUSANDS HAVE DIED IN JAILS AND PRISONS, WE WOULD GRATUITOUSLY KILL SOMEONE I THINK SPEAKS TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS ABOUT OUR IDENTITY.

THE DEATH PENALTY ISN'T AN ISSUE THAT YOU CAN DECIDE OR EVEN EVALUATE BY ASKING WHETHER PEOPLE DESERVE TO DIE FOR THE CRIMES THEY COMMITTED.

THE THRESHOLD QUESTION IS DO WE DESERVE TO KILL.

AND AS A NATION OF 400,000 AMERICANS HAVE DIED, WHERE A THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE DYING EVERY DAY, OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS NOT PROVED THAT IT IS CAPABLE OF RELIABLE AND FAIR JUDGMENT.

WE DO NOT DESERVE TO BE EXECUTING PEOPLE AND I THINK IT IS A REAL TRAGEDY THAT MARKS THIS ADMINISTRATION'S LAST DAYS, THAT THESE EXECUTIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE.