Abolish the Death Penalty: Mission Accomplished

[tmthforu94]

Abolish the Death Penalty!

Earlier today, I introduced a constitutional amendment that would abolish capital punishment in Atlasia. I want to thank Representative NeverAgain for being the first sponsor in the House. There are three main points I want to cover as to why capital punishment should be outlawed: the risk, unfairness and cost ineffectiveness.  

Carlos DeLuna died of lethal injection in 1989. In 2012, a Columbia University research team published an article claiming DeLuna’s innocence. DeLuna was charged with stabbing an individual in a gas station. The prosecution relied almost entirely on eyewitnesses who claimed DeLuna, who had been found in his vehicle several blocks away, was the man responsible. In the report, they highlighted several flaws the prosecution made: there were several contradictions in the eyewitnesses testimony and there was blood footprints leaving the scene. When DeLuna was found, there was no blood on his body. There were errors throughout the trial, and the research proved that there was not enough evidence to convict DeLuna. Yet, because Texas has the death penalty, he won’t be able to go free. His life was taken away from him at the young age of twenty-seven due to trial error.

Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, 82 inmates have been freed from death row due to wrongful convictions. Why are we willing to take such a risk when an individual may still be innocent? Any form of "justice" that creates the risk of an innocent person dying is not justice.

Second point: The death penalty is handed down arbitrarily and can largely depend on the quality of your lawyer, hence why high-income criminals have a far less rate of receiving the death penalty than those of lower incomes. Gary Ridgeway was convicted of killing 48 prostitutes and runaways, and he admitted that there were even more he killed. Yet, as part of a plea deal, he avoided the death penalty. In Alabama, however, David Hocker was executed after a one-day trial in which the jury was unaware he had a mental illness. Another elderly man who had been on death row for twenty-seven years was executed despite the fact he was dying with cancer. The unfair nature of handing out the death penalty just adds to the reasons why it is not good policy. Additionally, there isn't strong proof showing that instituting the death penalty has decreased crime rates. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, statistics prove that states without the death penalty actually have a lower crime rate. In 2011, there was an 18% higher rate in states with the death penalty. That number has been as high as 42% in 2005.

Finally, a point to appeal to the fiscal conservatives - the costs. When capital punishment is sought, multiple trials and appeals are held, making it much more expensive for the state to seek the death penalty than life without parole. A study by the Sacramento Bee in 1988 said abolishing the death penalty would save the state $90 million a year – imagine what it would be today. California has spent over four billion dollars on executions since 1976 and have only executed 13 people in that time. Now, I've heard some argue that we should speed up the process rather than let all this money be spent - as I said earlier, there have been countless wrongful executions, so this process has been what allowed countless innocent individuals to walk free.

The reasons to abolish the death penalty go on and on: trial errors still occur, which could cause the death of innocent civilians. The handing out of the death penalty is unfair and gives advantages to those more fortunate. It costs more than it would to give an individual life without parole. It does nothing to reduce the crime rate. What are we teaching the children? That we should kill someone to prove that killing is wrong? I believe in the right to life from conception to natural death. Abolishing capital punishment isn't a conservative or liberal position - it is a common sense position.

Atlasia repealed the death penalty several years ago. With a new constitution in place, it is time for Atlasia to join other developed nations and makes the death penalty illegal – choose life.


What can you do to help? Contact your senators and representatives and tell them to VOTE YES on Senate Bill 2016-003. We can ensure this makes a public vote by PMing your legislators - they are here to represent you! Let your voice be heard. Here is a list of all legislators in Atlasia:

Senate of the Republic of Atlasia
Pingvin - Opposes Abolishing Death Penalty
Tmthforu94 - Lead Sponsor in Senate
JoMCar - Supports Abolishing Death Penalty
Goldwater - Opposes Abolishing Death Penalty
Blair - Supports Abolishing Death Penalty
Smith - Supports Abolishing Death Penalty

House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia
Dkrolga - position not determined
darthebearnc - position not determined
Classic Conservative - Opposes Abolishing Death Penalty
JohanusCalvinusLibertas - position not determined
Haslam2020 - position not determined
ClarkKent - Supports Abolishing Death Penalty
North Carolina Yankee - position not determined
Evergreen - Supports Abolishing Death Penalty
NeverAgain - Lead Sponsor in House

If you're a legislator in support of this constitutional amendment, please state your support in this thread!

[tmthforu94]

For reference, here is the amendment in question:

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I have assigned it Senate Bill 2016-003. The most pressing order in the Senate currently is to determine the rules of the body. Once those are set, I will immediately bring these to the floor.

[tmthforu94]

Just curious Senator, if your effort fails in the legislative bodies, what are you going to do after that???

As I stated during my campaign for senate, I will continue to push for this each cycle until it reaches a public vote. It took several tries last go-around before it passed and it may be the same this time.

That being said, I believe the arguments are strong for passage of this constitutional amendment, and with the help of The People, I believe we can convince Congress to pass it the first time.

[tmthforu94]

To the supporters and opponents of this legislation, what about those tried and convicted of treason (citizens pledging to terrorist groups like ISIS and committing acts like in Orlando or San Bernideno)

How would this affect military courts and tribunals?

As stated in the amendment, this would apply to the civilian court of law.

[tmthforu94]

Seriously, I fully and enthusiastically support this. It shouldn't be up to men to make such a permanent and irreversible judgement.

Not only that, it actually costs more to execute criminals than it does to sentence them to life-in-prison (due to the costs of mandatory appeals and other safeguards). There is literally no rational argument, moral or fiscal, in favor of maintaining the death penalty.

That is a lie. There is a moral arguement which is stated as a Commandment of the LORD in Exodus 21: 23-25 which states "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

I generally try to keep religion out of political discussions, but I have to quote what Jesus said from the Sermon on the Mount:

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[tmthforu94]

I will oppose the abolition of death penalty.

Could you elaborate as to why you are supporting the continuing practice of something that is arbitrary, has killed innocent lives and is not fiscally responsible?

[tmthforu94]

I will oppose the abolition of death penalty.

Could you elaborate as to why you are supporting the continuing practice of something that is arbitrary, has killed innocent lives and is not fiscally responsible?

I simply believe that terrorists, murderers and rapists simply don't deserve to live. Period.

I will oppose the abolition of death penalty.

Could you elaborate as to why you are supporting the continuing practice of something that is arbitrary, has killed innocent lives and is not fiscally responsible?

I simply believe that terrorists, murderers and rapists simply don't deserve to live. Period.

Can you describe why you support the system we have now that allows for a man who killed over 50 people to avoid the death penalty while another man who had a mental illness and 1-day trial receive death penalty? Also, what would you say to the families, such as Carlos DeLuna's, who lost an innocent family member because their state had the death penalty? Had DeLuna been in a state that didn't have the death penalty, he would have been able to walk a free man.

Sorry, but I just can't accept "because that is what I believe" as a valid reason to turn a blind eye to innocent lives being lost in a system that is unjust.

[tmthforu94]

I will oppose the abolition of death penalty.

Could you elaborate as to why you are supporting the continuing practice of something that is arbitrary, has killed innocent lives and is not fiscally responsible?

I simply believe that terrorists, murderers and rapists simply don't deserve to live. Period.

I will oppose the abolition of death penalty.

Could you elaborate as to why you are supporting the continuing practice of something that is arbitrary, has killed innocent lives and is not fiscally responsible?

I simply believe that terrorists, murderers and rapists simply don't deserve to live. Period.

Can you describe why you support the system we have now that allows for a man who killed over 50 people to avoid the death penalty while another man who had a mental illness and 1-day trial receive death penalty? Also, what would you say to the families, such as Carlos DeLuna's, who lost an innocent family member because their state had the death penalty? Had DeLuna been in a state that didn't have the death penalty, he would have been able to walk a free man.

Sorry, but I just can't accept "because that is what I believe" as a valid reason to turn a blind eye to innocent lives being lost in a system that is unjust.

Look, I never said that would support a system that would've let the Orlando shooter get away with killing over 50 people. And there will always be mistakes in the judicial system, but they can be (and should be) fixed through different ways - abolition of death penalty is not one of them.

I was referring to Gary Ridgeway, not the Orlando shooting (see original post).

I look forward to seeing you introduce solutions on how we can fix the multiple flaws the death penalty causes without repealing it.

[tmthforu94]

Debate has begun in the Senate. You can follow along here. Several legislators have still not weighed in on the issue! I encourage you to contact them and encourage them to vote AYE on SB 2016-003.

I am very happy with the response this has received so far - this bill has support across the political spectrum, including of both presidential candidates!

[tmthforu94]

To address the fiscal issues, limit the appeals.

It is the appeals process that has freed so many individuals who were originally wrongfully convicted.

[tmthforu94]

I know this is where I break off from some others, but personally I am in favor of life without parole as an alternative.

[tmthforu94]

I am happy to report that the amendment to abolish the death penalty has passed the Senate. It will now head to the House. Several representatives have still not voiced their opinion on this legislation - I encourage you to contact them and tell them to vote AYE!

[tmthforu94]

Great news: The constitutional amendment has passed in both the House and the Senate. It now moves to ratification by The People. A recent survey showed that 71% of Atlasians oppose the death penalty, including a majority of Federalists and all Laborites. I have high hopes that this amendment will pass the regions and will be added to the constitution.

Huzzah!!

[tmthforu94]

With a majority of support in the South and North regions, the death penalty has been abolished in Atlasia!

[tmthforu94]

So I and others can be clear on where our Senators stand, our elected representatives, are there any other Senators who would support life in prison without parole for first degree murder?

Winfield, I am working with NeverAgain to establish a congressional committee for criminal justice reform. Once it is up and running, I would really appreciate your insight and ideas in it. Hopefully these committees can start creating a stronger dialogue between legislators and their constituents.