Death Penalty Issue

For those of us in NY there is an issue which needs our immediate comment. Quoting from the local paper on Friday 3/10/06:

"The state Senate Codes Committee on Tuesday approved legislation co-sponsored by state Sen George Winner Jr R/Elmira, to reinstate New York's death penalty for violent murderers who kill a police officer, peace officer or employee of the state Dept of Correctional Services.

"A vote by the full Senate could come soon and Winner, a strong death penalty advocate, called on state Assembly Democratic leaders to 'wake up to the real world' and also allow a vote on the measure."

We need to write our state Senator immediately and also for good measure, a copy to our assembly member. Addresses will be in your phone book.

Just as when I was on my high school debate team many decades ago, the same arguments are still 100% valid:
1) the death penalty does not deter crime - not one iota
2) It costs many times more to execute than to incarcarate for life
3) execution can be quite psychologically brutal to those whose job it is to carry it out
4) the issue of 'closure' for anyone is bogus. Grief goes on forever, is never neatly 'closed'.
5) Making the state an official murderer implicates us all and does not advance humanity

Killing a police officer occurs during the heat of a crime with adrenaline high and the criminal seeing no other option. State murder occurs as a calculated act and one also based on an emotional response. Neither act is valid, both are criminal, and official murder rectifies nothing.

A very good book to read on this issue is Sister Helen Prejean's Death of Innocents.

Please do what you can to see that NYS remains capital punishment free. It is a more humane environment.