Death Penalty: With Extreme Prejudice

This year the U.S. Constitution turns 200. For many Americans the milestone is 1987's excuse for jingoistic hoopla and celebration. But as the patriots churn out speeches and editorials, and as the "Constitutional Minutes" hit the airwaves, some citizens are not joining the celebration. Some cannot forget that our country's founding document granted blacks the status of property and appraised the value of a black life at three-fifths of a human being.