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Why Oppose the Death Penalty?
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NADP NEWS | Speaking Out Against Nebraska's Death Penalty | July 2010 | In This Issue
• Welcome to NADP NEWS!
• Death penalty review | By: Bishop William J. Dendinger
• Efficient death doesn't make it right | Lincoln Journal Star Editorial Board
• Your Voice is Important!
NADP NEWS | A Month of Contrasts | June 2010 | In This Issue
• Welcome to NADP NEWS!
• National death penalty update
• Nebraska loses a long-time death peanlty opponent, Hugh Bullock
• 19th Anniversary of Pulse Omaha
NADP NEWS | On the Road Again| May 2010 | In This Issue
• Welcome to NADP NEWS!
• NADP Field Organizer hits the road
• Innocence Must Matter
• Death Row Special Fund
THE ABOLITIONIST | Spring 2010 | In This Issue
View older issues of NADP NEWS and The Abolitionist HERE!
NADP NEWS: Speaking Out Against Nebraska's Death Penalty | July 2010
Greetings,
The recent unveiling of the new execution chamber in Lincoln has generated a lot of discussion about our state's death penalty system. We would like to highlight a few of those commentaries here, and we call on each of you to raise your voice in continued opposition to capital punishment in Nebraska.
On July 23rd Bishop William J. Dendinger authored an article in the Western Nebraska Register. The paper is published by the Grand Island Diocese of the Catholic Church and is widely circulated throughout Western Nebraska. We welcome Bishop Dendinger's thoughtful analysis of the death penalty in Nebraska. Read the article in its entirety here.
In the past we have seen many newspapers in Nebraska call for repeal of our state's death penalty. Earlier this week the Lincoln Journal Star reaffirmed its position in opposition to the state's latest announcement regarding the completed construction of the new execution chamber. The editorial offers a grim reminder that Nebraska's officials are preparing "to take a person's life in the name of the state and all its citizens." We invite you to read the full editorial here.
Along with these two articles, we have seen a few wonderful Letters to the Editor submitted by some of our most committed supporters. It is critical that the average Nebraskan hear from their friends and neighbors who are calling for abolition. Our final story this month highlights some of the letters that have already been published and invites you to make your voice heard as well. Check it all out here!
Onward to Justice,
Jill
Death penalty review
July 23, 2010 | By: Bishop William J. Dendinger
Occasionally it is good to do a review of basic moral issues, lest we become insensitive to the gravity of each issue. Certainly the death penalty is a moral issue we need to review periodically. The position of the Catholic Church is clearly enunciated in several places. First and foremost is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Second Edition). It’s a lengthy statement and it is carefully nuanced. “Assuming that the guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.” “If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.” “Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibility which the state has for effectively preventing the crime, by rendering one who committed an offense In the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults we read, “Our nation’s increasing reliance on the death penalty cannot be justified. We do not teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill others.” Pope John Paul II has said the penalty of death is both cruel and unnecessary in his homily in St. Louis, Jan. 27, 1999. The Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church uses similar words and rationale.
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“The Church sees as a sign of hope a growing public opposition to the death penalty, even when such a penalty is seen as a kind of legitimate defense on the part of society. Modern society in fact has the means of effectively suppressing crime by rendering criminals harmless without definitively denying them the chance to reform.” Civic groups, such as the Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, have testified in the Nebraska State Legislature for the past several years. According to their website, there are five basic arguments against the death penalty. First it is degrading of human dignity. Second it does not deter crime according to most social studies. Third, it is not administered fairly as the poor are much more likely to be convicted. Fourth, mistakes have been made as innocent persons have been executed, although some have survived the death sentence proving years later they were wrongly accused. Fifth it is much more expensive than life in prison. James Cunningham, Executive Director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, has testified many times before the Nebraska State Legislature about the Catholic teaching on capital punishment. He frequently quotes from the 1994 Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops, Confronting a Culture of Violence. “Increasingly, our society looks to violent measures to deal with some of our most difficult social problems. Violence is not the solution; it is the clearest sign of our failures....” It’s logical to ask, “Why has the death penalty survived in light of the opposition?” It’s very simple. Lawmakers are elected officials and there is a very vocal group of people who want retribution and will vote for those who favor capital punishment and against those who oppose it. The culture of favoring capital punishment is very firmly entrenched in many people and it will require long and extensive education based primarily in the inherent dignity of human life to bring about any change. |
You can download the entire issue of the Western Nebraska Register, including a version of this article in Spanish, by clicking here. The article appears in the Bishop's Corner column on page 2.
Efficient death doesn't make it right
July 26, 2010 | Lincoln Journal Star Editorial Board
We take little comfort in the state's apparently efficient preparation, in this case, of the state's remodeled execution chamber. Earlier this month, the state gave news media an introduction to the place where people used to die in the electric chair. Now, it's equipped to use lethal injection. This newspaper stands against the death penalty. But it is the law in Nebraska. Wrong though we may believe it to be, it is important for the state to be as transparent as possible about it. So we thank state officials for being forthright about a process we oppose. The reporting from that news media introduction was as hard and spare as the death chamber itself. "Everything is in place to carry out an execution, except for the three drugs that would be used," our reporter wrote. They have been ordered, but a worldwide shortage of one of the drugs, sodium thiopental, has delayed delivery, Department of Correctional Services Director Robert Houston said. Houston and Warden Dennis Bakewell did not take questions on execution issues, other than to refer journalists to the written protocol and procedures documents. "We felt it's important for the public to see the room itself, the equipment we have, and for discussion of the protocol to take place so the public knows that should a date be set by the courts, the department is well-prepared to carry out its responsibility," Houston said. Nebraskans should know how the state is prepared to carry out the grisly task of executing the next person on death row whose time runs out. |
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No dates are set for any of the dozen inmates on death row in Tecumseh. The description and pictures of the stark chamber drove home its purpose: to take a person's life in the name of the state and all its citizens. "A camera is mounted in the ceiling above the inmate's head to monitor the injections." The witness room has a floor-to-ceiling foldable partition to separate those who are there to represent the inmate and those there for the victim or victims. How considerate. The Nebraska Legislature approved lethal injection as the state's method of execution in May 2009, after the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that electrocution was cruel and unusual punishment. We understand that state law now prescribes lethal injection to get around that court's admonition, but we fail to see how the Department of Correctional Services protocol is any less cruel and unusual: the injection of sodium thiopental to render the inmate unconscious, pancuronium bromide to paralyze muscles and stop breathing, and, finally, potassium chloride to stop the heart. Some medical experts challenge the procedures as not reasonably ensuring that the condemned is rendered unconscious and remains unconscious throughout the procedure. The details become secondary when the capital punishment itself is repugnant to civilized people, arguably immoral and applied in patterns that are demonstrably unjust. The Journal Star maintains its opposition to capital punishment. |
We are pleased to see that the Lincoln Journal Star remains firmly on the side of justice for all Nebraskans in their support for repeal of the death penalty in Nebraska. To help amplify this important message we are calling on all our supporters to submit a Letter to the Editor of you local paper stating your support for repeal of the death penalty.
As we see discussion of the Nebraska's death penalty increasing in newspapers across the state, it is important for our perspectives to be fully represented. The most effective way to make your voice heard is to submit a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper.
Your letter is most likely to be published if you keep it short and positive. Typically this means 150-250 words. (Be sure to include your address and phone number. This personal information won’t be published in the newspaper. It’s just so the newspaper can verify the letter’s authenticity.) You can visit www.usnpl.com/nenews.php to find links to the online editions of most papers in Nebraska. Each newspaper has its own submission process which can often be found on their individual webpage.
Here are some recently published Letters to the Editor from around the state. Will you make your voice heard as well?
Death penalty does not bring closure I was reading in the newspaper the other day about the cost of remodeling the death chamber and listed the names of the men on death row and the victims names. I wondered how the loved ones of those murdered felt about reading there loves ones name. Are we really helping murder victim family members by having the death penalty and having to read about there loved ones murder over and over again for years and years. One of the murders happened 30 years ago and they still have to read about it. How are they going to get full closure if they have to keep reading about it? For the sake of murder victim family members all citizens of this state should be asking the candidates for the Nebraska Legislature if they support the death penalty and not vote for the ones that do. The citizens of this state need to stand up and say we want a end to the cycle of violence that the death penalty brings us. Kurt Mesner, Central City |
Don’t improve execution, stop it I was saddened to read a July 8 news story about Nebraska’s new method of carrying out the death penalty. What is the fascination with state executions? How many of us will feel safer and happier knowing we now have a legal means of execution? In the last session, the Legislature was unwilling to investigate the costliness of the death penalty, despite the efforts of State Sen. Brenda Council of Omaha. Thankfully, the death penalty has been carried out only three times in recent history in Nebraska and is not scheduled in the near future. But that is still three times too many. The bland descriptions of the process by Nebraska Corrections Director Bob Houston and warden Dennis Bakewell apparently are meant to assure the public that competent and skilled personnel have been appointed to execute for the state. However, this is contradicted by the inhumane nature of the act. The executioner will stand behind one-way glass, and the three types of poison will be sent through tubes in the wall. The room has been enlarged and made more “user friendly.” It was almost grisly to see the video of the “death bed.” We should not be fixated on the death penalty. We should abolish it. John Krejci, Lincoln |
Death penalty won’t stop crime Apparently, Joanne Smith (July 12 Pulse) is unaware that execution can cost more than lifelong incarceration. So, her argument about wasting Nebraska tax dollars fails. Like so many, she picks and chooses from the Bible. What about “Thou shall not kill”? I don’t see any qualifiers there. No one who commits a violent crime resulting in death is considering the death penalty, or even incarceration. Joyce Dunn, Omaha |
I take no pride in death penalty I have read (July 8 news story) about the newly converted Nebraska death chamber at the Lincoln penitentiary, and the attitude seems how proud we are of ourselves. We get to legally kill again. It makes me sick to my stomach. Marylyn Felion, Omaha |
NADP NEWS: A Month of Contrasts | June 2010
Greetings,
June was a month of contrasts in the world of death penalty abolition.
In two cases that have generated much interest at the national level, we saw an execution by firing squad in Utah and a man in who Georgia received an unlikely chance to prove his innocence more than twenty years after his conviction. Read more about these stories in our national update.
Back at home, Nebraskans are mourning the loss of a long time civil rights leader and abolitionist following the death of Hugh Bullock. Learn more about the life of Mr. Bullock here.
Finally, we invite you to help celebrate the 19th anniversary PULSE Omaha an amazing organization that helps the secondary victims of homicide. Learn how you can be a part of this exciting event!
Onward to Justice,
Jill
The execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner reads like something out of a wild west novel. On June 18th, Utah held the first execution by firing squad since 1996, and Gardner is only the third person to be killed in this manner in more than 30 years. The uniqueness of the method of execution again brought national attention to the death penalty and gave abolitionists a chance to highlight the many problems with capital punishment.
"I don't want to give the government the right to execute citizens, period," said Greg Hughes, a Republican state representative from Utah. "Inevitably, you're going to kill innocent people." Hughes also noted his concern about how arbitrarily death sentences are imposed, equating it with a kind of "popularity contest". Additionally, the family members of Gardner's victim, Michael Burdell, joined the chorus of voices opposing the execution, saying that the Burdell would not have wanted his killer put to death.
The sudden spotlight on Utah helped galvanize those working to repeal the death penalty in their states. NADP is happy to stand along with Utahans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (UTADP) as we work to end the death penalty all around the country.
While the Gardner execution was another example of the many flaws in today's justice system, we also got a reminder this month of why we must continue with our efforts. On August 17, 2009, the Supreme Court issued an rare order mandating a new evidentiary hearing for Georgia death-row inmate Troy Anthony Davis. The ruling gave Davis the chance to prove what he has long claimed—that he did not take the life of Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail in 1991.
Following the hearing, which took place on June 24th and 25th, Anne Emanuel, legal analyst for Amnesty International USA, released the following statement: "Given the evidence that emerged from the two-day hearing, it is clear that the state's case against Troy Davis is thin and tainted. Today's hearing underscores the deepening doubt that has plagued this case. It is difficult to imagine that a jury would convict Davis today after hearing four of the witnesses who convicted Davis 19 years ago testify in open court before a judge that they lied. One eyewitness testified for the first time that he saw his relative, the alternative suspect, Sylvester "Redd" Coles, shoot police officer Mark Allen MacPhail in 1989."
While this hearing marks a major development in the case of Troy Davis, it must be said that the burden of proof that Davis' lawyers must meet to prove his innocence is quite high, so we join all those around the country and even the world who are waiting to see what will happen. And again, we are reminded that risk of executing an innocent person is alive and well in America.
Nebraska loses a long-time death peanlty opponent, Hugh Bullock
Life-long civil rights activist and long-time NADP member Hugh Bullock passed away on June 20, 2010. For more than 50 years, Hugh and his wife Leola challenged discriminatory practices in housing, employment, and opportunity wherever they found them. His quest for justice drew him towards various organizations including the Police Review Board, Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, the NAACP, and the Malone Community Center.
The staff and Board of Directors at NADP feel privileged to have know and worked with Mr. Bullock as we sought an end to Nebraska's unjust capital punishment system, and his presence will be greatly missed. The family has requested that memorials be made to Newman United Methodist Church or the Malone Community Center Foundation.
To learn more about the life of Mr. Bullock you can read this recent article from the Lincoln Journal Star or visit this post at the Nebraskans for Peace website.
19th Anniversary of Pulse Omaha
NADP encourages you to help PULSE Omaha celebrate nearly two decades of service to the Omaha community. On Thursday, August 19, 2010 PULSE Omaha will celebrate its 19th anniversary with a benefit concert by famed jazz guitarist and Omaha native, Calvin Keys. Keys, along with his trio, will be preforming at 1316 Jones Street in downtown Omaha. Tickets are $50 in advance and can be purchased by calling 402.898.6053.
PULSE Omaha, which stands for People Uniting, Lending Support & Encouragement, is a non-profit organization based that offers comprehensive, long-term support for secondary victims of homicide. Since 1991, PULSE has offered crisis intervention, counseling resources, and peer support groups for secondary victims of homicide, and works deeply with the community towards an end to violence in our streets and homes. NADP is a strong supporter of PULSE, as we know that the that the death penalty does not meet the many needs of those impacted by homicides.
You can find out more by visiting PULSE's website at www.pulseomaha.org.
NADP NEWS: On the Road Again | May 2010
Greetings,
We hope that everyone enjoyed the relaxing long weekend! There is no better way to get back into the swing of things than by getting some new and important information from NADP—so enjoy!
NADP's Field Organizer, Carla Stormberg, is hitting the road, and she wants to meet with you to discuss our ongoing work to end the death penalty in Nebraska. Find out where she is going!
The US Supreme Court has decided to take up a case that could have huge implications for wrongfully convicted individuals who end up on death row. Learn more about the case of Hank Skinner.
Finally, we make an annual appeal for a special fund at NADP. Learn how you can help with these efforts.
Onward to Justice,
Jill
NADP Field Organizer hits the road
Carla says, “meet me for coffee!”
Many of you were introduced to NADP's new Field Organizer, Carla Stormberg, in a previous update. Now that she has settled into her work here in Lincoln, she is heading out on a week-long road trip to meet some of our supporters in western Nebraska. She has planned stops in Harrison, Alliance, Sidney, and Grand Island.
Carla is already excited about the people she will be connecting with on her trip. "In Harrison and Crawford, I’ll be meeting with Father Berger, and in Sidney with Father Faesser, my mom’s parish priest, in connection with the work of the Nebraska Catholic Conference. The Conference has a long history of social action against capital punishment in Nebraska (www.nebcathcon.org). Also, I am also looking forward to connecting with some of the amazing individuals who continue this important work around the state."
Carla's goal is to meet with anyone and everyone who is interested in our campaign to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska. If you are on or near the route, give her a call at (402) 477-7787 or email her at carla@nadp.net and she’ll be happy to meet you to discuss ideas about strengthening our presence in western Nebraska!
Where you can find Carla:
June 5,6 - Crawford, Alliance
June 7,8 - Sidney
June 9,10 - Lexington, Saint Paul, Greeley, Grand Island
Innocence Must Matter
US Supreme Court agrees to hear case requesting DNA tests
On Monday, May 24 the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Hank Skinner, a death row inmate from Texas. Skinner, who came within minutes of being executed in March, has long been requesting that Texas perform a DNA test that he claims will show his innocence.
This case will offer an opportunity for the Court to expand access to DNA testing and, possibly more importantly, to again address the issue of actual innocence in death penalty cases. In another case where a defendant, Troy Davis, has long claimed to be innocent of the crime for which he is facing death, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia claimed that the highest court in the land is not necessarily concerned with whether a person facing execution was guilty or innocent, only that the original court process had been carried out correctly. The dissenting ruling which came last summer stated that the court "has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a ... court that he is 'actually innocent.'"
There is no place in modern society for a justice system that is ready and willing to carry out the "ultimate punishment" with no regard for those who have been wrongfully convicted. In the last 37 years 138 people have been released from death rows around the country because of evidence of their innocence. The risk of executing an innocent person is real. Innocent Nebraskans have been convicted as result of shoddy forensics, coerced confessions, jailhouse snitches, and mistaken witnesses. Despite our best intentions, human beings simply can’t be right 100% of the time. And when a life is on the line, one mistake is one too many.
Read more about the Skinner case here.
It started with an appeal for typewriters from the men on death row. The machines had to be very specific, prison-approved typewriters, so NADP established a special fund to collect money to buy a few typewriters. Then money was needed for typewriter ribbons. Later we established a fund for a subscription to the Omaha World Herald. The subscription is in one man's name, but it is shared with everyone on the row.
Many visitors to the men have noted that the typewriters, ink supplies, and newspapers are greatly appreciated by the prisoners. They make extensive use of their typewriters for correspondence, legal appeals, and even writing poetry. When the subscription to the newspaper expires, it is missed.
If you would like to make a contribution to this fund, send your check to NADP Foundation with a note in the memo line that it is for the special fund. The money will be used to purchase typewriter supplies, newspaper subscriptions, and occasionally a new typewriter. Mail your check to NADP Foundation, 941 'O' Street, Suite 725, Lincoln, NE 68508.
THE ABOLITIONIST | Spring 2010
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View older issues of NADP NEWS and The Abolitionist HERE!
