Powerful read from Shaun King on Hillary’s wrong support for death penalty & why we must abolish it

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Last edited Thu Oct 29, 2015, 11:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Powerful read from @ShaunKing on @HillaryClinton’s outdated/wrong support 4 death penalty & why we must abolish it http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-hillary-clinton-rethink-death-penalty-stance-article-1.2416719?cid=bitly …

For her entire political life, Hillary Clinton has supported the death penalty. But for the first time in this election cycle, she doubled down on that support.

Speaking on Wednesday at a college in New Hampshire, Clinton was asked her views on capital punishment and stated rather clearly that as President she would not be for the abolition of the death penalty. This is extremely disappointing.

There are 102 countries around the world that have completely abolished the death penalty, and an additional 57 nations have not used it for 10 or more years.

It has been widely documented that African-Americans are disproportionately given the death penalty.

It has been widely documented that African-Americans are disproportionately given the death penalty for comparable crimes committed by their white counterparts whose lives have been spared.

Not only that, but in America, it's also hard to point to many death penalty cases in which those who were executed were not poor or close to it. With race and wealth playing such a huge role in who receives the death penalty in this nation, and with hundreds of innocent people exonerated, continuing it in any form is absurd.

While Clinton can at least claim that she's being politically honest and consistent on her view here, that's little solace for the millions of Americans who view the death penalty as inhumane and racially biased.

When, in her Wednesday endorsement of the death penalty, Clinton stated, "I think we have to take a hard look at it," she basically ignores the reality that a very hard, deep look has already been given to the death penalty for decades.

Cornell University has a widely respected death penalty project. So does Berkeley. And the University of Cincinnati.

Hundreds of studies, books, papers, conferences, charities, rallies, marches, and more have already happened around this issue. A deeper dive is not what this country needs on the death penalty — we need to abolish it. Most Americans across all parties have stated that they prefer someone be given life without parole instead of the death penalty.

It'd be great to see Hillary evolve to this view as well.

read: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-hillary-clinton-rethink-death-penalty-stance-article-1.2416719?cid=bitly

related:

Carrie Dann @CarrieNBCNews ·
Martin O'Malley, death penalty opponent, weighs in on Boston Marathon bomber verdict.




Sam Stein ?@samsteinhp
O’Malley responds to Clinton’s support for the death penalty




O'Malley for NH ?@omalleyfornh
FLASHBACK: "Repealing Death Penalty Was A “Major Achievement For @MartinOMalley Who Pushed Hard For It.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-much-needed-demise-of-marylands-death-penalty/2013/03/25/71b12b70-919e-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239_story.html

[sabrina 1]

1. It's a barbaric, medieval practice for one thing, It does nothing to stop crime. Most of all

it is not usually applied to the wealthy but is disproportionately applied to the poor and minorities.

It is yet another demonstration of the racism that still permeates our so-called Judicial System.

Shame on anyone in this day and age who supports this terrible practice.

Maybe she's trying to get some cross over votes from the far right or maybe this is really just who she is.

[virtualobserver]

4. Can you imagine the horror of being executed by the state for a crime that you did not commit?

As usual, She is playing political games with people's lives

[sabrina 1]

6. I cannot even imagine it. And we know for sure it has happened.

I have actually never met a Democrat who has supported that vile practice, in fact most Democrats I know have spent a good part of their lives, working to try to abolish it.

[JonLeibowitz]

13. Look no further than the DINO running in this primary n/t

[cui bono]

7. Especially now that they are using alternative drugs for it that just don't work "well".

Then there was the story about that guy who was given the wrong thing because someone didn't read the label correctly, or just didn't know the difference.

And did I read that the states that can't get the proper drug are going back to electric chairs or something like that?

[malokvale77]

2. Kicking for repeal of the "death penalty".

It is a policy of barbarians.

Thank you Shaun King.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. It's hard to believe that in 2015, we continue to barbarically execute people.

It's reprehensible! Then we have people like OK. Governor, Mary Fallin, who so desperately wantS to continue executing people that she's actually considering FIRING SQUADS now, because she can't get the drugs used in current executions by lethal injection.

Why can't she get the drugs? Because the countries that make the various drugs know what they're used for and think executions are barbaric and stopped making them!

It's really hard to believe anyone, in 2015, still supports lethal injections. How many innocent people have died because of them? A LOT! And of course, they were either poor and couldn't afford a good attorney to defend them, or they were a minority.

Thankfully, our Governor saw what was happening to innocent people and outlawed executions in Illinois. REPUBLICAN GOVENOR Ryan. And Hillary still supports it? She supports endless wars, so I guess this shouldn't come as any surprise.

It's so barbaric.

[lastlib]

14. The state should NOT have the power to take human life.

Period. Discussion closed.

[bullwinkle428]

5. The nefarious means by which some of these states are attempting to obtain

the drugs necessary for putting people to death should make anyone with a sliver of humanity pause.

K&R.

[sabrina 1]

8. I know, it's like watching a movie about the dark ages. On the good side, support for it is dropping

NY State didn't have it, but then in the 'nineties decided to adapt it. It wasn't long before they dropped it again though. I knew a lawyer, top trial lawyer, who defended the first DP case in NY, the man was mentally ill. He lost and cried in court when the verdict came down.

[azmom]

9. Yet another issue she needs to evolve

On. And where is her justice reform plan?

[zentrum]

10. To me, her position

……is of a piece with her hawkishness.

[loyalsister]

16. I think so too

Sometimes she comes across as vengful or something.
I am truly happy and amazed that we have two candidates who oppose the death penalty and are talking about it. It is something that needs to be discussed in the context of Black Lives Matter. And, of course, she won't even say it.

[zentrum]

17. Yup.

She's ruthless.

[SoapBox]

11. She could not be more wrong.

But will she somehow flip-flop on this issue too?

She's all over the map on everything...but we do know she loves her big money, big power, Banksters and Billionaire...don't forget the war machine....

No thank you to Hill.

[snort]

12. This country was built on Capitalism.

We should have private executions.

[Eric J in MN]

15. She voted for the Iraq War and the Patriot Act.

She's not a civil libertarian. She'll support the death penalty during this election campaign.