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URGENT ACTION: Poison pill to federal hate crimes expands death penalty

By Michael Mahler, on July 20th, 2009

This is pretty cynical and awful. I am not entirely comfortable with the death penalty and most definitely believe that it should not be extended to other crime.

URGENT ACTION: Poison pill to federal hate crimes expands death penalty

If you support hate crimes legislation, oppose the death penalty, or both, read this.
On Thursday, the US Senate amended S. 1390- a defense appropriations bill- to include federal hate crimes protection on the bases of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability. Today, as early as 3pm, the Senate is expected to vote on Senate Amendment No. 1615, an amendment offered by Senator Sessions of Alabama that would expand the federal death penalty to include kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, sexual abuse, and attempted murder.
The amendment is clearly unconstitutional since the US Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty cannot be used in non-homicide cases. It is also a blatant attempt to kill the hate crimes provision.
The Senate could vote on this amendment as early as 3pm today. Please call Senator Specter at 202-224-4254 and Senator Casey at 202-224-6324 and ask them to oppose Senate Amendment No. 1615 on S. 1390, the Sessions amendment. Talking points include:

  • At a time when states are narrowing and repealing capital punishment, this is no time to expand the federal death penalty.
  • More than 130 people have been exonerated in the United States after being sentenced to death, including five this year alone.
  • (If you support hate crimes legislation…) This is a blatant attempt to kill the hate crimes amendment that the Senate passed on Thursday.

Thank you!
peace,
Andy

URGENT ACTION: Poison pill to federal hate crimes expands death penalty

GLBT, Politics
  • Dudley Sharp

    expansion may be a good thing.
    “The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents”
    http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-penalty-more-protection-for-innocents.aspx
    “Death Penalty, Deterrence & Murder Rates: Let’s be clear”
    http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/03/death-penalty-deterrence-murder-rates.html
    The 130 (now 135) death row “innocents” scam
    http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx

  • http://www.eriegaynews.com/mahlerblog Michael Mahler

    I think that you might have missed the main thrust of the amendment; the issue is that non-homicide crimes could potentially carry the death penalty. Certainly, there have been horrible kidnappings, attempted kidnappings and etc. But if those crimes carry the same penalty as murder, then there would be nothing in the mind of the criminal to prevent them from escalating the crime. The amendment doesn’t seem to address whether homicide should carry the death penalty; it expands what crimes could potentially carry the death penalty.
    I also have to admit that I find it VERY disturbing that the article cited that there were at least some innocent people who had been put to death under wrongful convictions.
    But again, the proposed amendment by Sessions is about expanding the death penalty to other crimes. If those crimes also have occasional erroneous convictions, then that means that additional innocents will be put to death.

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