By Kevin Cooper
The American Heritage Dictionary defines justice as moral or absolute
rightness; the upholding of what is just; fair treatment and due reward in
accordance with honor, the administration and procedure of law.
I, Kevin Cooper, am writing this article from death row at San Quentin Prison,
a place where most of America feels that "justice" can be had by the killing of
human beings.
There are many forms of justice. Yes, that is true. However, the type of
justice that I am speaking of a this point in time is criminal justice. The
criminal justice system which I am a part of, and have been for the past
fifteen years, is a system where justice in and of itself has very little to do
with who lives or who dies, who gets the death penalty and who doesn't.
Justice, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. The only thing that
justice has in common with the definition that is used from the American
Heritage Dictionary is "the administration and procedure of law." We all know
in our hearts from what we see, read and continue to learn about this country
that law and/or the administration of it, or its procedures have nothing to do
with "real justice!" It has to do with who is administering the justice or
their understanding of justice. For example, Democrats and Republicans, each of
whom claim to want and stand for "real justice" do so according to the agenda
that they believe in and support. The same can be said for all the different
politicians within the political parties. You can also add religion to the
list. Each different religion or church has to a degree their own
interpretation and implementation of justice. The same can be said for the two
sexes, as well as races and different cultures, businesses, special interest
groups and human beings as a whole. Each has a different definition of justice.
In all of this difference, we as a civilized society must, for the most part,
come together in agreement of what the word justice means to us as a whole.
Well, that's how it is supposed to be. But, as well all know, things never are
as they're supposed to be. Justice, for the most part, as I said before, has to
do with who you listen to as well as who is in power. The powerful can enforce
their form of justice on you.
As I sit here on death row, an innocent man, I have learned that justice for
those who have sent me here in my death. Justice for those who believe in the
death penalty, support the death penalty, speak out for the death penalty and
carry out the death penalty is my death, my execution. I have also learned that
for me, my supporters, my family, my friends, justice is my release. I need to
be given a new trial where I can get someone to listen to all the evidence. I
can prove my innocence and then I need to be set free. For all those who don't
believe or support the death penalty, who speak out against it, demonstrate
against the death penalty and refuse to let the state carry it out in their
names, justice does not mean my execution, my death.
Justice is different as black and white, day and night, Democrat and
Republican, Christians, Jews, Muslims. One man's justice is another man's
grief. One man's grief is another man's justice. If real justice meant that the
police, district attorney or state found out that someone they had convicted of
a crime really didn't do it and that new evidence came forth to show that they
wrongfully convicted the person, they would admit their mistake and reverse the
wrong. Then we could say that real justice was at work. It would mean that
whenever a wrong was found, it would be righted. Look up the word justice in
the dictionary. We all know, however, that this in not the case. Most of often
whenever the police, district attorney or state find out that they wrongly
convicted someone of a crime, they hide the evidence. They hide the evidence,
lie or deny what they know to be the truth. So where is the justice in that?
There is none. In your name the police, district attorney and state would
rather kill an innocent person than admit that a mistake was made. Where I ask
you is the justice in that?
There are now over seventy-five people who have been released from death rows
in the United States. They were all convicted and sentenced to death for crimes
that they didn't do. And that's just capital convictions. For crimes, in
general, there are thousands of wrongfully convicted people in prison. In these
cases, at some point, the police, district attorney and the state know that the
person who was convicted is innocent. For the most part, they do nothing or
they hide information and evidence which would prove the person innocent. They
do it in the name of "their justice."
In their justice, they are never wrong or they never make a mistake. Their
justice to them means that they are always right. Their justice means that in
the course of doing their jobs, implementing their own agenda, as well as the
administration and procedure of law, if they have to kill an innocent person,
then so be it. That person, that innocent person is dead. But where I ask you
is "real justice!"
For comments or questions, please write me at:
Mr. Kevin Cooper
C65304 3-EB-82
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin, CA 94974
Campaign to End the Death Penalty