North Carolina should really take a hint from its neighbor to the north; Maryland, to be exact. It was just weeks ago that Maryland became the 18th state in the union to outlaw the death penalty, a barbaric and medieval practice that should have ended long ago. Yet, here we are in the year 2013, and still we haven’t realized that the death penalty is expensive, ineffective, and philosophically immoral.

If we look to history, there are a number of examples of when our nation has taken steps forward in the right direction, and now I think it is time North Carolina and the rest of this country take a step forward on the issue of capital punishment.

I mean, sure, we’ve come a long way from the days of hanging people, stoning them, or crucifying them. But isn’t the act of killing someone, regardless of how you do it, still wrong? Of course it is. That is why I propose we re-think this issue and take a look at a few of the laundry list of reasons proposing the end of capital punishment.

Reason 1: It’s breaking the bank.

A study conducted by the Death Penalty Information Center found that in the state of Maryland it costs an average $3 million just to get the death penalty sentence, and an additional $37.2 million to execute someone.

In North Carolina the state spent $21 million dollars just in extra fees based on added court proceeding costs. In other words, that’s $21 million dollars not spent on elementary students, fixing our highway systems, or on public safety. To some it might be hard to believe, but it is actually cheaper to keep someone in prison for the rest of their life than to execute them. From an economical point, the facts are clear that pro-death unequivocally means pro-wasteful spending.

Reason 2: What about God? Doesn’t he get the final say-so?

What else has struck me as odd is that so many people who are supportive of this type of punishment are religious. If these supporters were to look a little bit deeper into their respective theologies I think most would find that their support of capital punishment is in direct opposition to their religious beliefs.

In many religious theologies isn’t it God who is the one that gives us life? Then where did we get the idea that mere humans can step in God’s shoes and choose to end someone’s life? To those who consider themselves spiritual, God is all-knowing and all-powerful. So, don’t you think he’s more than capable of determining when people should or should not die? If you ask me, I’m pretty sure this is something that falls under his job description.

Reason 3: The death penalty is a definitive answer to an indefinite judicial system.

Once the state kills someone there is no going back, there is no retrial, no second chances, and no do-overs. So what happens if we make a mistake? Oops? During the Republican Primary for the 2012 election, Governor Rick Perry was asked by Brian Williams about the 234 people executed in Texas under his term as governor (the Republican-filled audience can famously be remembered as cheering loudly after Williams mentions the 234 executions) and whether or not “he struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent.”

The governor went on to dodge the question, briefly saying that Texas has a very “thoughtful” process in place. But the Texas governor is wrong. The so-called “thoughtful” process he talks about is a process laced with inconsistencies and human error.

In Maryland, a man by the name of Kirk Bloodsworth is someone who has been at the heart of the state’s death penalty debate. You see, Mr. Bloodsworth is an example of how the system fails. In 1993 he was exonerated by DNA evidence after being wrongly sentenced to death in the state of Maryland. Today, he can be seen waving protest signs, attending meetings, and, most recently, watching over the Maryland legislature as they voted for the repeal of the death penalty, a punishment that could have very well ended his own life.

For many, the death penalty is an emotional issue, there’s no doubt about it. Many see capital punishment as a way that justice can be best served to society’s worst criminals. But when we think about how much it costs us as taxpayers, how it blatantly betrays human regard for another person, and how it could very well end the life of an innocent person, we need to remember to think logically on this issue.

When it comes to politics, having emotions and being passionate is important, but we shouldn’t allow those emotions to cloud our better judgment. We should not allow our emotions to keep us from realizing that it’s time for North Carolina and the rest of our country to take a step forward to end the death penalty once and for all.