Feingold introduces bill to ban federal death penalty

[babylonsister]

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/03/19/feingold-introduces-bill-to-ban-federal-death-penalty/

Feingold introduces bill to ban federal death penalty
@ 3:21 pm by Michael O'Brien


Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) introduced legislation Thursday seeking to abolish the death penalty for federal crimes in the United States.

Building off the announcement that New Mexico would now forbid capital punishment, Feingold introduced the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009, which would effectively commute all federal death penalty sentences to life sentences, and forbid the use of capital punishment in later convictions.

“I oppose the death penalty because it is inconsistent with basic American principles of justice, liberty and equality,” Feingold said. “Governor Bill Richardson and the New Mexico legislature’s action to abolish the death penalty in that state adds to the growing momentum behind ending the death penalty in this country."

"It is truly unfortunate that we are in a shrinking minority of countries that continue to allow state-sponsored executions,” Feingold added, citing the death penalty's cost, ineffectiveness, and associated racial disparities as reasons for introducing the legislation.

[pleah]

1. K&R I'm rooting for you R.F.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

2. Thank you Senator Feingold!

The federal government makes way too many mistakes, to be allowed to put people to death.

K&R!

[Forkboy]

3. Big K&R!

:kick:

[midnight]

4. Glad to recommend such a welcomed change to our countries

justice. Thank you Senator Feingold for being our champion for justice in America.

[spanone]

5. thanks mr. feingold

[rampart]

6. thanks mr feingold

[aikoaiko]

7. I'd like to keep DP on the fed books. Some people just don't deserve to live.

[laconicsax]

9. Uh huh. Sure.

:eyes:

[ulysses]

16. it might be that that's true.

On the other hand, I'm not sure who I want deciding *who* it is that deserves to die. I know I don't want myself doing it, for fuck's sake.

[Raskolnik]

17. There may be people that don't deserve to live, but that doesn't make the death penalty just

even accepting for the sake of argument that it may be just to administer the death penalty in some platonic "ideal" of a horrible crime, every piece of data I've seen indicates that we are not capable of using the death penalty in a fair manner.

Even if you think it could be a useful tool, I don't believe it is a tool we are capable of wielding in a just manner.

[roguevalley]

8. I like him a lot. they want the death penalty here in alaska, some

gaboon in the legislature. its not popular.

[Individualist]

10. Kudos to Senator Feingold.

:applause:

[Mass]

11. Great news. Too bad it will not pass and he has no cosponsors.\nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Civilization in America? At last? K&R

[Uncle Joe]

13. Kicked and recommended for preventing the federal government from committing

manslaughter or murder. I believe 100 "justified" executions don't negate the travesty of one unjustified one.

I believe life without parole should be the harshest punishment ever awarded as this is the only measure that will prevent an innocent person from being executed by the state.

On top of all that there is no "equal protection" under the law as poor or even middle income defendants simply can't afford the protections of the wealthy and as such, I believe this violates the Fourteenth Amendment.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[mod mom]

14. Russ!

[Renew Deal]

15. I doubt this goes anywhere

But we'll see.