DEATH PENALTY IS BIG GOVERNMENT AT ITS WORST
POLICYMAKERS TO DISCUSS AT SPN ANNUAL MEETING
September 17, 2014 – Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty (CCATDP), a national network of conservatives and libertarians questioning the alignment of capital punishment with their principles, will be exhibiting at the upcoming State Policy Network 22nd Annual Meeting (September 23-26) in Denver.
The SPN Annual Meeting comes following a succession of innocent men being released from America’s death rows, as well as CCATDP’s speaking tour of Patriot and GOP groups across the Florida Panhandle. Every day conservatives are learning more about the failures of the system.
“Conservatives in every part of the country and of all stripes – from Tea Party activists to Republican millennials with GOP stalwarts in between – have repeatedly demonstrated an interest in reexamining the death penalty system,” said Marc Hyden, CCATDP’s national coordinator who will be attending the SPN Annual Meeting.
This month in North Carolina a man was released after enduring 31 years on death row for a murder he did not commit.
DEATH PENALTY ON TRIAL AT LPAC
LIBERTARIAN CONCERNS RISE AS DEATH ROW RELEASES MOUNT
September 10, 2014 – Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty (CCATDP), a national network of conservatives and libertarians questioning the alignment of capital punishment with their principles, will be exhibiting at the 4TH Annual Liberty Political Action Conference (LPAC)September 18-20 in Alexandria, VA.
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty heads into the conference following another death row prisoner being found innocent and after the group’s successful speaking tour of Patriot organizations across the Florida Panhandle.
“Everywhere we go there are conservatives and libertarians who are ready to re-think our broken system, especially because innocent people keep getting sentenced to death,” said Marc Hyden, national advocacy coordinator for the group who will be attending LPAC. “Whether it’s Florida, North Carolina, Nebraska, or other red states, people with conservative and libertarian beliefs are expressing their dismay and distrust with this government-run program that wastes money and risks innocent lives.”
Just last week in North Carolina the 146th person was released from one of our nation’s death rows for wrongful conviction, this time, after he had faced a death sentence for 31 years.
Asheville’s WLOS Channel 13 featured a segment discussing the North Carolina death penalty system following the release of Henry Lee McCollum from death row after 31 years. The segment included an interview with me and the local District Attorney. North Carolina has launched its own group, North Carolina Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty, which is led by local conservative leaders.
The News Observer highlighted the North Carolina Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty group following the release of Henry Lee McCollum from death row after 31 years. The author, Craig Jarvis, said,
A North Carolina chapter of a national network of conservatives that wants to put the brakes on — if not outright abolish — the death penalty has become active this year.
A number of prominent Republicans have joined N.C. Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty: Les Merritt, the former state auditor; Ernie Pearson, a former assistant commerce secretary; David Robinson, once the Wake County GOP chairman; Marshall Hurley, former state Republican Party general counsel; Steve Monks, former Durham County GOP chairman; Mark Edwards, the Nash County GOP chairman; and Gerald Galloway, retired police chief in Southern Pines.
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/09/11/4141877_conservative-anti-death-penalty.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
The article quoted me as saying,
“North Carolina is attempting to resume executions, but this should serve as a prominent example as to why states need to think twice,” national coordinator Marc Hyden said in the statement.
The Washington Examiner reported on Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty following an interview with National Advocacy Coordinator, Heather Beaudoin. The author, Stephen Thomas, said,
The death penalty has long since been a very polarizing part of America’s political past and present. Conservatives have long since been considered to be unanimously in favor of the death penalty. Not anymore.
Conservatives Concerned About The Death Penalty (CCATDP) is a growing group of social and political conservatives who no longer believe that capital punishment and conservative principles align.
He went on to say,
The death penalty is a political issue; but also a faith issue. With regards to the death penalty; CCATDP evangelical leader Jay Sekulow stated the following: “Who among anyone is not above redemption? I think we have to be careful in executing final judgment. I think (the death penalty) it short cuts the entire redemptive process.”
Rare reported on two inmates who were recently released from prison because newly introduced DNA evidence revealed that they were wrongly convicted. Henry Lee McCollum spent 31 years on death row and his half brother Leon Brown spent 31 years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Rare quoted me as saying,
The release of two men from prison, one from death row, in North Carolina after more than 30 years following their wrongful convictions is merely the latest example of why conservatives like me are turning against the death penalty. North Carolina is attempting to resume executions, but this should serve as a prominent example as to why states need to think twice. The thought of the state executing an innocent person is reprehensible to conservatives, but that risk exists with the death penalty. As these men attempt to put their lives together after being wrongly incarcerated for over 30 years, we as a nation should consider whether the death penalty is worth the human and fiscal costs, while it fails to serve victims’ families and fails to prevent murder.
Heather Beaudoin, National Advocacy Coordinator with Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty, wrote a piece for Shared Justice today. The article described how and why many young Christians are now speaking out against the death penalty. The article stated,
“The more exposure there is to the issue, to the simple facts about this flawed system, and people are stunned,” Justin Phillips said. “Theological interpretations can be argued endlessly, but the realities of the death penalty are beyond dispute and provide stubborn testimony for the necessity of its repeal.”
It’s no wonder that even many Christians who support the death penalty have become uneasy with the system. Along with recent reports of botched executions and the risk of killing innocent people, their eyes have been opened to how the decades-long process hurts victims’ families and the racial disparities incumbent with the death penalty.
If you missed it, you can listen to Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty’s Heather Beaudoin on Q with a View here.
Questioning a system marked by inefficiency, inequity, and inaccuracy.
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty is a network of political and social conservatives who question the alignment of capital punishment with conservative principles and values.
We are a project of Equal Justice USA, a national organization working to end the death penalty in the United States.
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