hi
State size, demographic makeup and a string of other factors may make up general stats, so it would be difficult to make a simple comparative between 2 different states.
You also have to remember that many crimes actually go unreported for various reasons.
State budgets also vary, and one state may have more resource than another, and one may have less.
I don't think any state takes joy in executing people, or that legal counsels just flip a coin and say 'ok, lets fry 4 today'.
Nobody really likes 'law' , and some seem pretty harsh.
There are laws against speaking on mobiles while driving, and many take the lives of others while doing such things. Chances are, many dont get caught, and if accidents arise from such things, it just goes down as 'collision'. People still do it anyway.
What may seem inneffectual today, can open doors that nobody may want to walk through tomorrow. Its difficult to go back.
It's a bit like free trade. The doors opened, contrary to what should have been highly regulated with laws, so today you see US in financial turmoil. People may now suggest all kinds of things to bring into law now, like outlawing imports exceeding 20% of whats produced locally etc, but all these thoughts are too late.
Laws, are what societies are built on, and once erased theyre very difficult to reinstate, because with the repeal of one, come the ripple effects that erode others.
In many gruesome murders today, you quite commonly hear sudden pleas of insanity : then, theres an enquiry which seems to manytimes conclude insanity, so its easily a plea of insanity. The stats of how many criminals get off scot free , are probably scary too.
As harsh as that death penalty may seem, there is enough iron proof around that many hard and remorseless criminals do deserve to be erased from society. The human rights issue ( which in fact should not apply to people that wilfully violate the right to life ) only hinges on isolated incidences of the law being in error.
At an overall average, even you would find evidence to support the fact that the application of the law in the cases of the death penalty being applied probably takes more factors into consideration than other avenues of punishments.
Let's say there were 3 brutal rapists in your immediate vicinity,and you'd already been attacked twice , is that two times too many , or would you consider yourself just collateral damage ? Some consider that a murder of soughts, because it can kill people mentally.
Law is very simple, when one has not been an actual victim , and rationalizing the 'rights' perpetual violators is 'profitable' , but all things have a price.
I'd think if someone in Gov. O'Malley's immediate family were actually mindlessly slain, his political accomplishment would suddenly take on a new meaning for him.
As I say, in politics , political ambition, and pointscoring is a far cry from reality and justice.