I was interviewed by Kentucky NPR recently to discuss the conservative case against the death penalty, the state of capital punishment in Kentucky, and our appearance at the Young Americans for Liberty Kentucky state convention. When asked about the deterrence properties of the death penalty, I said,
For every 100 murders, one of those results in a death sentence. So that’s one percent. Now, even fewer of that one percent actually are executed. So you have to ask yourself, would you be deterred by a half a percentage of a chance of you being executed 20-30 years after you make a terrible crime. I just don’t buy into that. There are no deterrent properties.
YAL Welcomes Their Strategic Partner
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty
To the Kentucky Convention
April 2, 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 presenting at the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) Kentucky State Convention. CCATDP is a strategic partner of YAL. It will take place on Saturday April 5th at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
State Representative David Floyd (R-Bardstown) who recently sponsored death penalty repeal legislation is pleased to see his fellow conservatives joining him in the state.
“I’m excited that Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty will be here in Kentucky,” said Floyd. “Young Americans for Liberty in our state need to hear how the death penalty is in direct conflict with conservative principles.”
Marc Hyden, CCATDP’s national coordinator will be speaking at 11:40 am during the Meet the Sponsors section of the program. Other speakers that day will include U.S.
The Charlotte Observer recently published an op-ed written by Reverend D. Larry Ford of North Carolina. Rev. Ford is a former county GOP Chairman in North Carolina, and he is one of the founding supporters of the North Carolina Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty. Rev. Ford outlined the rationale for repealing capital punishment. He said,
As a conservative, I believe in fiscal responsibility. By replacing the death penalty with life in prison we will save North Carolina taxpayers millions of dollars a year.
He went on to say,
As a minister, I know that life in prison will prevent the execution of innocent people. In just the last few years, we have seen six people released from North Carolina’s death row who were found innocent based on evidence that surfaced many years after their convictions.
It’s time to replace an outdated punishment with a new, tough and swift punishment – life in prison without parole.
We are proud to announce that another prominent political leader has taken a stand against the death penalty. Lawrence W. Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education, recently stated, “Are some crimes so heinous as to be worthy of the ultimate earthly punishment? Yes. Are some who commit those crimes capable of remorse, redemption and restitution? Yes, but not if they’re dead. Is government guilty of sloppiness and error in its judgments? Oh my God, yes! Add to that the proven fact that capital punishment in our clunky court system costs more than life without parole and you arrive at an inescapable conclusion: the right alternatives to capital punishment offer more hope, more deterrence and more justice.”
Conservatives Concerned in the media
CCATDP had a breakout month in the media. There are too many to mention, but here are a few of our favorites:
· We were featured on television on Fox’s the Independents, Reason TV, and the Tea Party News Network.
· We were interviewed on more than 20 radio shows including the Steve Deace Radio Show (syndicated in more than 60 cities), Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey Show, StandUp with Pete Domminick on Sirius XM, the Cato Institute’s Libertarianism.org’s
The Ozarks Sentinel featured a story about Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty. The author discusses how conservative support for capital punishment is fading. The author stated,
Typically, support for the death penalty comes among Republicans and conservatives, the groups known historically for being “tough on crime.” But a new coalition aims to give a voice to those conservatives who feel otherwise.
Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty (CCATDP) debuted at CPAC in Maryland this year and has since gained considerable publicity. “It’s important to remember that we can be tough on crime, but we have to be smart on crime too,” says Marc Hyden, National Advocacy Coordinator for CCATDP.
The author described in detail the conservative case against the death penalty and highlighted the many conservative and libertarian leaders who oppose capital punishment and support the work of Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty.
Ben Jones of CCATP was recently on Libertarianism.org‘s podcast to discuss the role of the death penalty in the criminal justice system. Ben Jones was interviewed by Aaron Ross Powell and Trevor Burris. Libertarianism.org is a project of the Cato Institute. You can listen to the podcast here and read Ben’s publication about the death penalty with Libertarianism.org here.
The Libertarian Republican interviewed me last week regarding Glenn Ford’s exoneration after spending 30 years on Louisiana’s death row. Ford was wrongly convicted based on the prosecution’s reliance on inaccurate forensics and because they withheld testimony. You can read the story and watch the video 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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