Why I, Suge Knight, No Longer Believe In The Death Penalty

*Editor’s note: Suge Knight, founder of Death Row Records, was recently arrested and charged with murder. He is currently being held on $2 million bail.

The Austin Times / Via theaustintimes.com

Dear America,

"We know enough to say that this or that major criminal deserves hard labor for life. But we don't know enough to decree that he be shorn of his future—in other words, of the chance we all have of making amends"

- Albert Camus

Man, check that out. I read that quote while driving my red truck out of Cam's Burgers in Compton at 3 p.m. on January 29, 2015. Then it hit me, like a truck driving over two bodies: the death penalty ain't the answer. Eye for an eye don't work. Killing for killing just make things worse.

What happens when a guy gets put to sleep for a crime he didn't do? What you supposed to say his widow, children, or his millions of fans worldwide? "Oh, sorry, we thought you ran over that guy for purpose, no joke. We got it so twisted, our bad." No reason to write an apology letter to a grave. Ain't no one gonna read it.

But there's more. The death penalty is straight up racist. Black people kill, they go on death row. A white guy does it, he be standing his ground. Protecting his domain. Well guess what? My domain is my truck. And I gotta protect it from scum on the road, you see what I'm sayin? But bias go beyond race, that's wassup.

No doubt that my Black Rappers are known for being the toughest, most badass players on the planet. But this cred got the government scared of us. More than half of death row inmates is black, and I guarantee they all spit. They spit hard. Ain't no coincidence neither.

For real though, death row don't mean people gonna stop stabbin and shootin and stuff. Columbia professors are with me on this. Like, if you think you changin things, havin death row, you straight cracked. You keep arguin with me, you gonna get broke in half, ain't no one gonna set you right.

But I got some good news. Not only do they got internet in jail, but Compton is in Cali. And in Cali, the death penalty was found to be un-constitution-like. Should be it, but it ain't. They don't have final word. Some other court do. So, I gotta besiege my Cali government officials to fight for what's right.

I ain't no activist neither. I don't know what came over me, but I just felt the passion, and I had to speak truth. Fuck the death penalty.

Sincerely,

Suge Knight