Yesterday, Julius Jones was scheduled to be executed for a crime he has always maintained he did not commit. At nearly the last minute, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted Jones’s sentence to life without parole. This will, of course, allow Jones to continue to fight for his freedom. But take a moment to consider the mental anguish he no doubt went through, as he was taken through what seemed to be his last day on Earth. It’s likely your mind will rebel at the very notion of being walked to your own execution. It’s sickening to even try to contemplate. Now ask yourself if that seems like a system we should support. For me, the answer is clearly and resoundingly negative.

Every story about capital punishment in America makes it painfully clear just how horrible it is. An end to executions simply can’t come soon enough.