New Jersey Moves To Ban Capital Punishment
In the right wing environment that is George Bush's America, there are still examples of progressive action happening.
The State of New Jersey is taking action to ban capital punishment and would be the first state to legislatively abolish execution since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate the death penalty in 1976.
New Jersey officially reinstated capital punishment in 1982 but has not executed anyone since 1963. The State Legislature adopted a moratorium on executions in December, 2005. As part of the measure, a commission was created that studied the death penalty. The current proposal to ban execution comes from the work of that commission.
Chronicle
The State of New Jersey is taking action to ban capital punishment and would be the first state to legislatively abolish execution since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate the death penalty in 1976.
New Jersey officially reinstated capital punishment in 1982 but has not executed anyone since 1963. The State Legislature adopted a moratorium on executions in December, 2005. As part of the measure, a commission was created that studied the death penalty. The current proposal to ban execution comes from the work of that commission.
Chronicle
So out of curiosity why ban something that you haven't used for 44 years? The progressiveness of the state of NJ is shown in the lack of use of the death penalty.
If I may, how is not having capital punishment, but locking people up for life progressive?
Posted by
Hobbes70 |
9:21 am, May 11, 2007
Let's look at the number of people who would have been executed WRONGLY because they were convicted of murder in error:
-David Milgaard
-Reuben Carter
-Steven Truscotte
-Guy Paul Morin
-Thomas Sophonow
-Romeo Phillion
-James Driskell
- etc etc etc
Execution is so final, yet we seem to continue to convict people who are INNOCENT!
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"Thou Shalt Not Kill"
God
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Killing people is primative. War is primative. Execution is primative.
We are an intelligent creature, yet we pander to the lowest intellect in our society sometimes. And while revenge (even society's revenge by way of execution) might feel good at a base level - it is primative and I like to think that Humans are capable of something higher.
By not execting someone who is guilty, we attempt to find a way for them to see what they did was wrong and then while incarcerated to still contribute something positive to the world at large.
Posted by
leftdog |
9:43 am, May 11, 2007
A very civilized move by the State of New Jersey.
I have always wondered how the U.S Supreme Court can in good conscience allow capital punishment in the face of the Eighth Amendment to the American Constitution which reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted." If strapping someone to a gurney, then running chemicals through their veins until they are dead isn't cruel and unusual, one wonders what is.
Posted by
Bill Longstaff |
11:36 am, May 11, 2007
Bravo NJ. Even if capital punishment were applied fairly, and even if we could be sure that only the guilty were executed, I would still oppose it. To rip the life from a defenseless human being, no matter how sanitary the means, is an ultimate act of violence. If we really wish to demonstrate that violence is not the way to solve problems, the state should not sponsor it.
Posted by
TomCat |
1:14 pm, May 11, 2007
hobbes ... here is another example that just occured. A 42 year old man who has been onR death row for 22 years awaiting exection has just been released from jail BECAUSE HE DID NOT DO THE MURDER HE WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR!!!!
Posted by
leftdog |
3:14 pm, May 11, 2007