Following the launch of the Georgia Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty at a press conference in the Georgia Capitol, press conference participant Austin Paul penned an op-ed outlining his opposition to the death penalty.
He wrote,
As a conservative, I look skeptically upon the state’s ability to carry out death sentences effectively. Conservatives correctly highlight the inefficiencies that exist at all levels of government.
Paul is right to distrust the state with capital punishment. Georgia’s death penalty has been marred by high costs, a failure to protect society, and wrongful convictions, and conservative principles are leading many to oppose executions as Paul pointed out:
Make no mistake about it; conservative values – from faith to fiscal responsibility – have been helping to fuel the trend away from capital punishment in Georgia.