The final meal of death row inmate Kevin Johnson has shocked the internet…
Now, although abolished in many countries, the death penalty is still retained in some parts of the world.
These countries include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and of course, the United States of America.
The death penalty has been a part of the U.S. justice system for centuries…
And the penalty, which is often referred to as capital punishment, has been in action since approximately 1608… Yep, it’s really that old.
But it’s not currently legal in every state.
And as the years have gone on, it’s become more and more of a controversial and taboo subject.
Many U.S. states have now abolished the death penalty for a number of reasons…
Including the risk factors of executing an innocent person, the fact it doesn’t prevent future crimes, and the fact that it is both discriminatory and can be used politically, as per Amnesty.
Organizations such as Amnesty have been fighting for decades to have the death penalty abolished entirely and they have been trying to expose and hold to account governments that continue to use the punishment.
Many find the death penalty totally barbaric.
When questioned, it’s difficult to justify the state killing its citizens.
Campaigners argued that many of those executed over the last few years were killed despite suffering from serious mental and physical illnesses…
Which should have rendered the death penalty an unconstitutional punishment.
And some states have made huge progress in this field.
History was made by Virginia being the first-ever southern state to abolish the death penalty. Other states which have abolished capital punishment include Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, and Washington.
Virginia is now the twenty-third state to abolish the death penalty.
And many are hoping for other Southern states to follow suit.
But the latest inmate to be executed is thirty-seven-year-old Kevin Johnson.
He was executed on November 24.
After the murder of William McEntee of Kirkwood Police Department.
Johnson claimed the officer had not adequately protected his brother, who was killed aged twelve.
He was executed by lethal injection.
Before his execution, the reverend present offered some final words…
“We read scripture and had a word of prayer.
“He apologized again. He apologized to the victim’s family. He apologized to his family. He said he was looking forward to seeing his baby brother. And he said he was ready,” the reverend said.
Johnson’s daughter also spoke out…
“I have suffered so much loss in my life.
“First I lost my father to prison when I was two, and then I watched my mother’s ex-boyfriend murder her when I was only four years old.
“It is excruciating to know that I am about to lose my father all over again,” she said.
Protestors also gathered outside the prison to support Johnson.
However, prior to his execution, Johnson did not eat his final meal.
And there’s one specific reason for this…
He didn’t want to give in to the system that he believes victimized him.
He believed his sentence was racially motivated, and even gave, “No comment” as his final words.