Generally speaking, there is not a vast difference between the countries, discussed in the book One Language, Different Cultures. Evidently though, they have different history, customs and traditions; however, they dispose over a corporate language, which has become during the last decade, the most desirable language to be learned by foreigners. Yet, there is still a huge difference, which in a certain sense casts a shadow on the humanity and morality of the nation, where that particular issue is being used. I am speaking about the death penalty, which is officially recognised in 38 states of the USA. Much support for the death penalty is based on genuine fear. Alarmed by light sentences for murder, many people believe that capital punishment is the only way to ensure that murderers will not be out on the streets again to claim more victims. However, The death penalty expresses the absolute power of the state; Governments have far too much power over the citizens they are supposed to serve, There have been many, many cases of police brutality with suspects, perjury, and conviction of the innocent. There are questions of basic competence, too. Some officials seem incapable of securing evidence or arranging a court schedule. Do we really want them to decide matters of life and death?
There is no way to remedy the occasional mistake that results in execution of the innocent. When the mistake is discovered after a man has been executed, what can we say to his widow and children? Should we erect an apologetic tombstone over his grave? These are not idle questions. There is grave doubt about the guilt of some people who have been executed. And a remarkable number of prisoners on death row have been released after new evidence cleared them. Sometimes they have been saved when they were only days--or even hours--away from execution.(7)
There is economic and racial discrimination in application of the death penalty. The best lawyers money can buy ensure that there are very few wealthy people on death row. It is true, of course, that some death-row prisoners are poor precisely because they are criminals (and unsuccessful ones). Not all were reared in poverty. But many were, and they tend to be poorly educated and to be represented by public defenders or court-appointed lawyers, some of whom are plainly incompetent. African Americans make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population--but 43 percent of death-row inmates.