Tuesday, March 19, 2019

[Petition] Kamala wants to know where you stand on the death penalty

 

As president, Kamala would lead the fight to end the federal death penalty. Not only is it an immoral practice: it's ineffective and costly for American taxpayers.

We need you to make your voice heard today. If you stand with Kamala in support of ending the death penalty, add your name to our petition today.

Sign the petition

Original message from Kamala Harris, March 18, 2019

I've long been opposed to the death penalty. It is deeply immoral, irreversible, and ineffective. And if we are going to transform our country's broken criminal justice system, we must be fearless -- unafraid to speak hard truths.

Last week, my home state of California issued a moratorium on the death penalty -- a system that has proven time and again to be an abject failure. It has wasted taxpayer money, has not kept our communities safe, and has discriminated against those with mental illness and people of color.

This is an important step forward. But I believe we must take it one step further and abolish the federal death penalty. This failed system is immoral, and as president I would lead the fight to end it. It's simply the right thing to do.

It is up to each and every one of us as citizens of this country to stand up for justice. That is why I'm asking for your voice today. Join me in calling for an end to the death penalty nationwide.

Sign the petition

Let's be clear: as a former prosecutor, I absolutely and strongly believe there should be serious and swift consequences when one person kills another. I am unequivocal in that belief. We can -- and we should -- always pursue justice in the name of victims and give dignity to the families that grieve.

But in our democracy, a death sentence carried out by the government does not constitute justice for those who have been put to death and proven innocent after the fact.

It is up to us to speak some hard truths about this immoral practice. The data tells us that as many as 1 in 10 people prosecuted with a death penalty conviction has been exonerated.

The data also shows us that the death penalty is far more likely to be carried out against people of color, people with mental illness, and people who could not afford to pay for legal counsel at trial.

In addition to the moral arguments against the death penalty, abolishing it just makes financial sense. Our government would save billions in taxpayer dollars if each death sentence in America were replaced by a life sentence without parole. Those taxpayer dollars could be invested in our schools, in our health care, and in lifting up our communities.

We have a lot of work to do to pass meaningful criminal justice reform in our country. I am running for president to lead that charge -- and that includes ending the federal death penalty.

I need to know you're standing with me on this critical issue. Add your name to my petition if you agree we must end the federal death penalty in the United States.

Sign the petition

I'm proud to have you alongside me in this fight.

For the People,

— Kamala Harris


 
 
 
 
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.