It is becoming quite clear that the death penalty is no longer the divisive, partisan social issue it once was. More conservatives are concerned about the broken system and in recent years, Republican legislators have championed death penalty reform and repeal bills around the country.

Richard Viguerie, a powerful conservative who has been called “one of the creators of the modern conservative movement” by The Nation magazine and helped start such initiatives as the Moral Majority and Conservative Digest, was recently interviewed in Sojourners Magazine, where he expressed his opposition to the death penalty.

“I’ve become aware that throughout history, many innocent people have been convicted of crimes and executed, said Viguerie.  “There are few things more horrendous than that, taking an innocent life by the power of government. The state is all-powerful in these matters, and it’s a very terrifying thing. People do make mistakes.”

Viguerie said that he thinks those on the left and the right can find common ground on capital punishment, but encourages more conservatives to take leadership on this issue. “We need to make it acceptable to discuss this in the public square. Once conservatives provide that cover for this issue to be an acceptable issue to discuss, debate, and legislate on, I think things can move forward.”

(Photo courtesy of LibertarianRepublican.net)

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Earlier this week, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley held a press conference announcing his administration’s support for repeal of the death penalty in his state.

“To govern is to choose” said O’Malley. “And particularly in an era of limited budget resources, every dollar that we choose to spend on a policy that is wasteful and does not work – when instead we could be doing more of the things that do work to protect life – seems to me to run counter to the pragmatic ‘do the things that work’ governance that is the hallmark of our State, and what our people desire.”

He went on to say “We know what works. Investing in law enforcement. Investing in data-driven policing. Increasing the availability of drug treatment. Performance measurement. Strengthening partnerships between police and neighbors. Investing in the latest crime fighting technologies, DNA analysis, healing vulnerable families – these are the things that work to reduce violent crime and save lives. The death penalty does not work.”

“…who do we choose to be? In whose company to we choose to walk forward?” asked O’Malley after listing the other countries who have the most executions, including China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

“Will we be a society guided by the notion that two wrongs somehow make a right? Or will we be a society that’s guided by the fundamental civil and human rights that we understand are bestowed on humankind by God? A society guided by the dignity of every individual. A society that is always moving forward to what’s right.”

To read his full speech, click here.

(photo of O’Malley’s press conference courtesy of myfoxdc.com)

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Exciting things are happening in Maryland. Last week, Senate President Mike Miller, who has long opposed death penalty repeal, agreed to make sure that the repeal bill gets a full up or down vote on the Senate floor this legislative session. This afternoon, Maryland’s Governor, Martin O’Malley, is expected to announce his commitment to helping end the death penalty in his state in 2013 and plans to include a repeal bill in his legislative package.

Our colleagues at  Maryland Citizens Against State Executions (MD-CASE) and Equal Justice USA have been working in close partnership with the NAACP, which has made repeal of Maryland’s death penalty a priority.  O’Malley’s announcement will be made official at a press conference this afternoon with NAACP president Ben Jealous, other NAACP figures, members of the state legislature’s African American caucus, and other state and civil rights leaders.

Help make Maryland the 18th repeal state and the sixth state to end the death penalty in the past six years. Please take a moment to thank Governor O’Malley for his leadership and his strong support for repeal.

(Photo of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley courtesy of The Washington Post)

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile malfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Last week, an article appeared in The Tennessean about the state seeking a new drug for its lethal injection protocol in order to resume executions. TADP Executive Director Reverend Stacy Rector submitted an opinion editorial that was published today in response to the article, arguing that we must have a new conversation around the death penalty. Instead of pitting one side against the other, she says it is essential that we recognize the common ground that we share and work together to find solutions that best serve the needs of murder victims’ families and create policies that improve public safety.

(Photo courtesy of Death Penalty Focus)

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Note: This blog entry was written by Markese Osborne (pictured above), a Bethel University student who is studying criminal justice. Markese interned with TADP during his winter break.

During my internship with Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, I heard about and read through numerous case studies of current and former death row inmates. I felt the best way for me to learn more and really gain a deeper understanding about the issues surrounding our broken death penalty system was to actually speak with someone who had served time on death row. I had the privilege to sit down and talk with Ndume Olatushani on December 19. Ndume spent 28 years behind bars, 19 of which were on death row, before being released last year on an Alford plea. I was interested to speak with him and hear about how he was able to deal with all of the different types of circumstances and adversity that he had been through.

The talk that I had with Ndume was one of the most powerful interactions that I have ever had with anyone. Throughout our conversation, I felt him speaking with so much honor, dignity, courage, and passion within his voice, and he really inspired me. His words were so powerful that it made me realize that if a man who has been through what he has can fight for his life and his principles, then there is no reason why I can’t fight through my circumstances and any adversity that I go through. Speaking with him also made me realize that when TADP’s Organizer, Jamie Moeller, came and spoke to my class at Bethel University, God was giving me a sign to become more involved with the fight to abolish the death penalty.

I asked Ndume numerous questions and he never shied away from any of them. He told me “I didn’t really begin to live until I was sitting on death row.” What I took from that was that he realized during that extremely difficult time that he needed to be the strongest man he could be and stand up for his principles and fight for his life. His given name was Erskine Johnson, but he changed it to Ndume Olatushani, which means “masculinity unifier.”  He told me that he changed it because of religious reasons, and also because he believes that words are powerful and that names should be too.

Within the first couple of years on death row, Ndume encountered many obstacles, but the toughest he faced was his mother’s death. You would think that a man in such an adverse situation who is faced with so many hardships would just lose control and give up. But not Ndume. He made the decision to channel his frustration, hurt, and anger into working to make sure that he wasn’t executed. He had great support from various friends who helped with his case, including his wife, Anne-Marie.

The State offered Ndume the Alford plea, which allowed him to be set free by pleading guilty to a lesser charge of 2^nd degree murder while allowing him to maintain his innocence, as he always has. He was released on time served in June of 2012. By agreeing to this special plea, Ndume is not able to sue the state. I asked him why he decided to take this plea instead of just fighting the charges and possibly suing for wrongful conviction. He explained that he didn’t want to risk waiting another two years in jail for another trial and possibly being convicted again. He decided that it was better to take the Alford plea and be reunited with his family. Hearing his story and learning about this plea, I realized just how broken the system really is.

I really enjoyed my time at TADP and appreciate the ambition that the staff and the organization’s supporters have to fight for this important cause. My experience at TADP gave me more inspiration and belief to take action. My time spent here was worth more than I could have imagined, and I just want to say thank you to TADP for having me be a part of the organization. I look forward to helping more to fight for repeal of the death penalty in the future.

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be highly dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.