Katrina vanden Heuvel: New Jersey Leads on Capital Punishment

[marmar]

from The Nation:



BLOG | Posted 12/17/2007 @ 10:52pm
New Jersey Leads on Capital Punishment



Today Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a bill that ends capital punishment in New Jersey. "This is a day of progress for us and for the millions of people across our nation and around the globe who reject the death penalty as a moral or practical response to the grievous, even heinous, crime of murder," Corzine said. In a powerful and eloquent speech delivered Monday morning, the Governor thanked advocacy groups for their hard and courageous work in creating "a fundamental grass roots groundswell that put pressure on those of us in public service to stand up and do the right thing."

New Jersey becomes the first state since 1965 to legislatively repeal the death penalty, and the state's move is being hailed around the world as a historic victory against capital punishment.

The momentum to repeal capital punishment has been growing in the state since January, when a 13-member legislative commission recommended its abolition. "It took 31 years," noted a recent New York Times editorial, "but the moral bankruptcy, social imbalance, legal impracticality and ultimate futility of the death penalty has finally penetrated the consciences of lawmakers in one of the 37 states that arrogates to itself the right to execute."

We fervently hope the actions of Governor Corzine and New Jersey's lawmakers will set a high standard for elected officials in other states to follow.


Gov. Jon Corzine's remarks at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut?bid=7&pid=261020

[saltpoint]

1. Convincing article by vanden Heuvel, timely post by marmar.

Recommended.

[groovedaddy]

2. Capital Punishment is an abomination

Executing innocent people does not serve justice.