California 2012 Propositions 34 and 36

The election is drawing near and every vote, as everyone says, counts and can affect our future. Each state has propositions to be voted by citizens. Propositions can be compared to amendments of our Constitution. It goes to process to be in the voting ballot and is for the interest of the public. What intrigues me the most, is Proposition 34, which is the repeal of the death penalty and replacing it to life imprisonment without parole, because it can either tie or contradict with Proposition 36, which states that no life sentence for criminals who commit a non-violent third strike. Proposition 34 is proposed because the death penalty contradicts our morale, is not in use, and has been taking California’s budget, while Proposition 36 is believed to save budget that are going to prisoners and avoid overpopulation of our prisons.

Both Proposition has an effect on our state budget, especially in this time period when there is more budget given to prisoners than to our students. One main point both propositions state is saving state budget, because we are spending a lot of budget on prisoners. Proposition 34 plans to save state budget by taking off the death penalty and rather, put prisoners on life imprisonment. The death penalty hasn’t been used for about a decade which means that the prisoners on the death row are prisoners and are most likely serving for life imprisonment. Not only we are spending on keeping the death penalty, we are also spending on those prisoners in the death row while waiting for their time, which won’t happen. Taking out the death penalty will save money, but it will not lower our budget on prisoners because it will be the same. On the other hand, Proposition 36 will resolve our state budget problem on prisoners by not overpopulating the prisons and thus saving our state from spending on those prisoners. Both propositions, however, have a backlash on their policy.

Releasing criminals out of either death row or prison may cause a split reaction from the public, depends if they are related or affected. Repeal of death penalty will abolish the death row and what most people might think is that those criminals escaped justice. While other people will most likely agree to abolish the death row because it is against our morale to kill. Although it is not an electric chair used to kill in our state, Asphyxiation is still, for other or most people, inhumane. Proposition 36, on the other hand, can let criminals or ex-criminals on the loose and can still continue to break the law. Both propositions may, in the end, let criminals off the hook and have no justice.

Repealing the death penalty might have a positive outcome in the long run, while Proposition 36 may cause increase of crime rates. Whether or not I agree to either or both proposition as of now doesn’t matter until I am able to vote. These two propositions interest me and this blog article doesn’t state that I believe and agree with these propositions. In the end, it is up to our current California voters to choose our future and what they believe is most suitable. This is why voting is one of our fundamental rights; our future is in our hands.