The Flor-Ala editorial board believes that the U.S. is one of the greatest countries in the world, which is why it is difficult for us to accept last week’s execution of Troy Davis, the man accused of killing off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail.

Hazy evidence and reasonable doubt did little to deter officials and a jury from ordering Davis’ death. The saddest part is that neither evidence nor reasonable doubt should never even be a factor in a human being’s death.

The U.S. is one of the last remaining countries that still allows the barbaric practice that is the death penalty-the government-sanctioned ending of human life. Who do we think we are?

Is it truly that we are making a moral statement by killing our accused killers? The irony here is laughable.

Is it that we want them to never commit such horrendous crimes again? It seems that life in prison would suffice.

At least with life in prison we can end the punishment for those suspected criminals who are later found innocent. And such an opportunity should prove useful for us, as nearly 200 prisoners on death row have been exonerated by post-trial evidence.

Moral standpoints and objections aside, the unbelievable number of death row exonerations alone should be enough to convince anyone that the death penalty is an outdated, flawed practice.

But it’s not enough, obviously. More inmates are put to death each year in pro-capital punishment states. The irony is that so many supporters of the death penalty are the same people who vehemently oppose abortion.

So is it human life that anti-abortion, pro-capital punishment citizens value? Or is it the value of that life as interpreted by our flawed justice system?

Like it or not, innocent or guilty, Troy Davis was a living human being.

If Americans choose to rank the value of human life, the system needs to be fixed. If even one person had been proven innocent on death row, that would be enough to prove that the system is full of holes-and we have 200 times that much proof.

The Flor-Ala editorial board feels that human life is human life. The value isn’t up for interpretation.

That’s not to say that murderers and other criminals should run free. We should keep them in prison for the duration of their sentences. At least the decision to send someone to prison can be reversed.

Nothing in life is certain–not even judgements handed down by our government–but death certainly is.

The opinions expressed are the collective ideas of The Flor-Ala editorial board.