The St. Charles County Democrats stands with the Missouri and Democratic National Party, Amnesty International, and others in advocating for the abolish of the Death Penalty.
Amnesty International states that "the death penalty breaches human rights, in particular the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." There are a multitude of reasons to oppose the death penalty, read below for more information and how you can get involved to make a difference.
There are many reasons to abolish the death penalty, including:
It is irreversible, and mistakes happen.
According to the Innocence Database by the Death Penalty Information Center, more than 187 individuals in the USA have been found innocent after spending time on death row, or were posthumously found innocent, since 1973. Innocent people sentenced to death wrongfully is a major issue with a death penalty criminal justice system. Mistakes happen, and we must abolish the Death Penalty to stop them from happening again.
It does not deter crime.
The claim that the death penalty has been refuted numerous times by social science studies. Research compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has clearly established that crime is not reduced or deterred in countries with death penalties.
Moreover, the ACLU states: In civilized society, we reject the principle of literally doing to criminals what they do to their victims: The penalty for rape cannot be rape, or for arson, the burning down of the arsonist’s house. We should not, therefore, punish the murderer with death… Capital punishment is a barbaric remnant of uncivilized society.”
It is discriminatory.
The ACLU's Capitol Punishment Project has published extensive research demonstrating that the use of the death penalty in the United States is discriminatory. Research demonstrates that in 96% of studies there is a patter of death penalty usage based on race of victim, race of defendant, or both.
According to the ACLU "approximately 35% of those executed since 1976 have been black, even though blacks constitute only 12% of the population."Of those on death row, 82% were convicted in cases with a white victim.
Moreover, the ACLU writes "U.S. General Accounting Office reviewed numerous studies of patterns of racial discrimination in death penalty sentencing. Their review found that for homicides committed under otherwise similar circumstances, and where defendants had similar criminal histories, a defendant was several times more likely to receive the death penalty if his victim were white than if his victim were African American."
What you can do:
It is quite clear that the death penalty needs to be abolished. Join us in our efforts to end this inhumane practice.
Sign up to volunteer in our county, to elect candidates who will work to abolish the death penalty
Share this information with your family & friends
Sign the death penalty action petition
Call upon your state and national elected officials to abolish the death penalty.
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