Would MLK support the death penalty if it was unfairly applied to blacks?

[Proud2BAmurkin]

I don't know but Obama does. It's not the biggest issue for me, all three Democrats are for it, but I just found that surprising since there have been so many studies showing it's disporportionately applied to blacks.

[Mass]

1. So that there is no ambiguity, here is Obama;s position

To be clear, I disagree with his first position, however, he has done a lot to avoid the inequities that you are quoting.

Also, it is clear that there is NO candidate who is totally against death penalty and has a chance to win in this race. Obama is the most palatable of the 3 and there is no chance that he will order the execution of a mentally incapacitated person, even if he had this power (contrarely to a certain former president married to the person you supported).

http://issues2000.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Crime.htm#4

Some heinous crimes justify the ultimate punishment
While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes--mass murder, the rape and murder of a child--so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment. On the other hand, the way capital cases were tried in Illinois at the time was so rife with error, questionable police tactics, racial bias, and shoddy lawyering, that 13 death row inmates had been exonerated
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 58 Oct 1, 2006

Videotape all capital punishment interrogations
In the Illinois Senate, I sponsored a bill to require videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases governor had instituted a moratorium on al executions.

In negotiating the bill, I talked about the common value that I believed everyone shared--that no innocent person should end up on death row, abd that no person guilty of a capital offense should go free. At the end of the process, the bill had the support of all the parties involved, and it passed unanimously.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 57-59 Oct 1, 2006

Battles legislatively against the death penalty
Obama's most significant contribution has been his legislative battles against the death penalty, and against in the criminal justice system. In Illinois, it's been a series of shocking exonerations of innocent people who are on death row. He was involved very intimately in drafting and passing legislation that requires the video taping of police interrogations and confessions in all capital cases. And he also was one of the co-sponsors of this very comprehensive reform or the death penalty system in Illinois, which many people say may trigger the retreat on the death penalty in many other states.
Source: Salim Muwakkil and Amy Goodman, Democracy Now Jul 15, 2004
...

[Proud2BAmurkin]

3. I agree being anti capital punishment makes someone unviable

at the same time I was surprised of his position. I don't disrespect it but I don't think comparisons to MLK are deserved either

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. You're a real piece of work.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

4. because I think MLK comparisons are over the top?

:shrug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Because of the stupid strawmen.

Not that I don't appreciate the good laugh.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

6. What strawman. It's a big issue to some people.

I bet some people here didn't even know he was pro death penalty. I didn't.

[Nailzberg]

7. Not even a decent distortion on the issues. I expect better from you.

All of the big three candidates support the death penalty.

You single out Obama, who, by the way, pushed through DP reforms in the IL legislature to the objections of the Governor, law enforcement, and prosecutors across the state.

[TwilightZone]

8. The OP clearly stated that all three were for the death penalty.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

10. There's no distortion. Obama is supposed to be "different" but he's not.

I actually thought he was anti death penalty.

[Nailzberg]

12. There is a distortion. Back up the "if unfairly applied" part of your argument.

"Would MLK support the death penalty if it was unfairly applied to blacks? I don't know but Obama does."

Prove it.

You cannot support this conclusion based on Obama's support of the death penalty. (or CLinton, Edwards, or Richardson for that matter)

Obama does support the death penalty, and has fought for legislation to protect the civil rights of the accused so that the death penalty is not applied disproportionately.

[stillcool]

9. Wow...Deja Vu...

I just read a post exactly like this...weird.

[stillcool]

11. Oh my gosh...

here it is:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4014881

[jmg257]

13. "Unfairly" seems different then "disporportionately". Serious question - do the studies

show it is unfairly used to...target blacks?