A group of three dozen House Democrats signed a letter Friday asking President Joe Biden to commute the death sentences of all federal death row inmates and work to dismantle the form of punishment at the federal level.
The plea comes on the heels of 13 executions carried out by the Trump administration since July, a legacy the Democrats described as “one of carnage and unrestrained violence.” They called on Biden, who has voiced his opposition to the death penalty, to emphasize rehabilitation for offenders in his Justice Department, not execution.
FILE – Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
“Like slavery and lynching did before it, the death penalty perpetuates cycles of trauma, violence and state-sanctioned murder in Black and brown communities. We urge the Biden-Harris administration to correct these injustices using every tool available, including the extraordinary power to grant clemency.
“With the stroke of the pen, you can end the death penalty and establish a clear commitment to justice and equity.”
An analysis by the Death Penalty Information Center released in September found that of the 57 people on federal death row at the time, more than half — 34 — were persons of color. Persons of color make up about 24% of the general U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
There are now 50 people on federal death row, including a man whose death sentence was overturned Tuesday in a ruling that could be appealed by the U.S. Justice Department.
The plea to Biden comes weeks after Pressley and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois introduced a bill to abolish the death penalty at the federal level. That legislation, the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021, has bipartisan support.
Until July, the federal government hadn’t carried out any executions in 17 years. Former President Barack Obama instituted a moratorium on the punishment during his administration, but former President Donald Trump revived it in a stretch of executions that included six that took place after he was voted out of office.
While Biden supported the use of the death penalty during his Senate career, his stance on the issue has shifted toward abolition.
“Since 1973, over 160 individuals in this country have been sentenced to death and were later exonerated,” he tweeted in July 2019. “Because we can’t ensure that we get these cases right every time, we must eliminate the death penalty.”
In the first three days of his administration, Biden signed 30 executive orders mostly targeting efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout. It’s unclear how long it might take from his administration to pursue any presidential orders or legislation on the death penalty.
DPIC Executive Director Robert Dunham said members of Congress — like Pressley, Bush and Durbin — will likely push for action early in Biden’s term.
“Never in American history have we seen so clear an example of the abuse of the death penalty by the federal government,” he said in reference to the Trump administration’s 13 executions.
“So while the issue is fresh and before the smoke from this unparalleled series of questionable executions clears, they may think this is a good time to act.”
Dunham warned that while there’s strong bipartisan support to abolish the death penalty, the issue doesn’t fall strictly along party lines.
“Democratic control of the House and tie-breaking capacity in the Senate does not mean that repeal can be accomplished without bipartisanship.”
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It would appear that these Democrats put themselves above the word of GOD.
Leviticus 20:13
3 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Exodus 21:12
12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
Leviticus 24:17
17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.
I’ve known a death row murderer and a murderer who served his time and was paroled. The difference between the two is distinct. The DR guy can’t be put down quick enough. Execution is the most merciful thing you can offer him. This isn’t a “The Green Mile” story.
These people don’t know what they’re talking about..
MAYBE If death row these days, meant A SWIFT and public execution, not the cushy 24+ years sitting around, wasting tax payer money, it might be more of a deterrent!!
“An analysis by the Death Penalty Information Center released in September found that of the 57 people on federal death row at the time, more than half — 34 — were persons of color. Persons of color make up about 24% of the general U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.”
But these dishonest, racist Democrats don’t tell you:
I.A.W. U.S. Census & FBI (Table 43a) Black males make up about 8% of the U.S. population but commit 53% of all the murders and 55% of all robberies in the U.S…Every year there are ~6,000 African-Americans men, women and children killed and 94% of them were killed by fellow African-Americans. (people of color)
IF THEY can’t hack doing the time, DON’T DO THE BLOODY crime!
History has shown that the only way to combat social violence is with a quick response of more over-whelming violence, to deal out to the perpetrators of violence the same violence they would perpetrate upon the American innocent. The problem is that thanks to duly elected democrats who come from communities where violence and rebellion is an every-day part of their lives, there are no innocent people elected qualified to protect their communities where innocence no longer is allowed to exist. Criminal minded elected Democrats now saw their leaders in violence and crimes being socially eliminated from their leadership ranks under Trump, and will now do anything they can to preserve them for future leadership roles in their now revealed intentions at social rebellion to oppress anything and anyone that has any modicum of American patriotism or innocence. When in doubt, take them out. Out of the general population and definitely out of government leadership positions. Race is not the problem, but their lack of moral compasses. They use race to get their foot into the doors of the minds of THE PEOPLE to destroy and handcuff via the shackles of guilt, the moral gatekeeps of society’s conscience. They just use race to guilt trip THE PEOPLE ,but control and revenge is their ultimate objective of equal corruption of souls, which by definition is SOCIALISM.
“Democrats described (the death penalty) as “one of carnage and unrestrained violence.” Hey Democrats, the people on death row committed crimes “of carnage and unrestrained violence” against innocent civilians. How is that for a dose of reality, Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts? No cash bail. How has that worked out for crime in the inner cities? Keep the criminals on the streets, you fool Democrats. Crime will certainly go down, when we have more criminals on the streets, right Democrats? Traitors to the law abiding citizens, Democrats!
SINCE when have these commucrats, CARED ABOUT WHAT those crooks did to innocent civilians? THEY ONLY CARE about fellow crooks.
Such BS that these anti death penalty jeks throw out. These fools don’t know know what justice means. Only when it happens to them .
As i often remark, its SICKENING that they think its FULLY OK TO murder INNOCENT babies, still in (or now even outside) the womb, BUT ITS WRONG TO execute guilty as sin, MURDERERS, RAPISTS and the like…
If we listen to these RADICAL Democrats, we will be living in the MOST DANGER that America has EVER SEEN ! These DUMB Democrats want to put people out on the street that have committed HEINOUS crimes. Some of them have MURDERED several people, and should NEVER walk free again. This radical Democrat Party is becoming more, and more dangerous by the DAY, with their BIZARRE ideas !
Which just goes to show, HOW BRAINLESS those who actually vote for them, must be…
Stupid Dems want to free people who have committed every crime in the book but then murder innocent babies who have done NOTHING but obey the laws of biology!
Murdering babies, innocents in the womb and want to baby murderers of innocent
people. The direct purpose of democrat communists is to make America unlivable
for Americans, destroy our nation and enslave the population, killing all freedom.
William
OMG. Every day these ignorant, uneducated, racist Democrats come up with another HORRIBLE idea, and compare it to something, else that WAS RACIST ! Lynching WAS Racist, no doubt, but the Death Penalty has NOTHING to do with Lynching . The analogy is simply ludicrous, and their ideas, are both ridiculous and dangerous !
Its honestly gotten to the point, ANYTHING that punishes a black person, EVEN WHEN THEY DESERVE IT, is seen as racist..
So we let all kinds of killers, and hardened criminals, that nobody wants to see again, go free because a bunch of whacko’s (known as dumbocrats) want it that way. And that “beedy eyed” demented fool, that stole the ???presidency, will probably grant them their wishes. And WE Real Americans will be unable to prevent it from happening, thanks to those feeble minded idiots in georgia, that gave these dumbocrats THAT power, to change America into a 5th world country.
“one of carnage and unrestrained violence.”
Of course the carnage and unrestrained violence that was carried out by these black convicts is acceptable and should be forgotten.
Apparently the Left will bang the ‘racist’ drum as long as it’s effective, then there after they’ll find another lie to tell.
Another example of Selective outrage and disregard for the law only when it suits their political goals of power and control.
Yeah those dummycrats talk big about getting rid of the death penalty, but they’re full of #@$%. Just like for the last 4 years and especially last summer when all the Antifa/BLM riots were going on and the dummycrats refused to have any arrested and the few that did get arrested were bailed out by Kamala. One dummycrat even called the riots “the summer of love.” But when just over 100 people broke into the capital building (an act that was inspired by Antifa plants) now all off the sudden all Trump supporters need to be thrown into concentration camps or killed by dummycrat fake police. Tell the truth, you lying scumbag dummycrats. You want ONLY dummycrats, regardless of skin color, to escape the death penalty. Everyone else should be thrown into the electric chair even if the offense was J-walking.
When you assume Howard Zinn’s admitttedly biased, revisionist history of the United States as the locus of all evil in the world, of course you respond to its legal executions with moral outrage and indignation. The entire Left needs a comprehensive remedial education in history.
A pretty racist set of statements, if you ask me. So the death penalty does harm only to the “black and brown communities”? How about the white felons on death row, then? Is it okay to execute them? Is it not okay to care about them, if the death penalty is so “unjust”? And anyway, how about a little sympathy for the people these felons of all colors killed or maimed? How about the ones who’ll be killed or maimed if these violent thugs are allowed back on the streets? Hello? Anyone home?
Sympathy for the victim? What kind of crazy compassion is that?
No matter what their race, sex, color or creed, Democrats prefer criminals over Republican, Christians any other person or thing that disagrees with their dogma The worst crime in the world is opposing any socialist idea. Racial “quotes” suddenly disappear from their amoral belief system if someone opposes them. Any race, sex color or creed that disagree or opposes radical socialist group think and does not submit to their tyranny must be removed from society and crushed.
Maybe they shouldn’t have committed the crime in the first place . Try that on you dumb 36 idiots !!
The Biggest Lie is— that any of these liberal or progressive thinkers and “champions of the people” care anything at all about the lives of anyone on this planet, let alone white, black, brown or people of any color. For them, people only exist to be used and pitted against each other in order for them to satisfy their lust for power and control over other people.
No, you DOOFUS, the Death Penalty (when carried out) puts an END to the cycle of violence perpetrated on American Society by CRIMINALS (regardless of skin color)!
Slavery was practiced by DEMOCRATS.
Lynching were done by DEMOCRATS.
Capital murder is primarily committed by DEMOCRATS, including the slaughter of innocent babies thru abortion.
Tell me now, who are the “bad guys” in.each case yet who is now projecting their own evil onto others?
Without hypocrisy, lies, and other forms of evil; the Democrat party would not and could not exist.
Abolish the death penalty and murders will go up. In the 70’s when the Supreme Court did away with the death penalty in states, the murder rate during robberies went up dramatically. Because there was no severe sanction against murder, robbers would kill convience store clerks so there would not be a witness. What slowed down that trend? Look up “shotgun squad, Dallas, TX” The fear of dying discouraged murders. That and restoring the death penalty so that it met the Supreme Court guidelines.
Those guidelines should make being sentenced to death, SO HARSH as hell, NO ONE would want to be sentenced to death..
Then, after you have commuted their sentences, invite them to stay at your house for the weekend.
For those that think **** sandwiches are a tasty treat, you are about to feast because this administration will be serving them up on party sized platters.
AND it’s gonna be the ONLY item on the menu.