By Robert Nave
One of the false premises often cited to support the death penalty is that it delivers "justice" to the victims of violent crimes and their families. Yet, many families of murder victims disagree with this argument. In Connecticut, nearly 200 relatives of victims of violent crime told lawmakers that the death penalty would only increase their anguish. Their voices were critical to persuading the State Legislature to repeal capital punishment.
These spouses, siblings, parents and others told legislators that exacting revenge would not help them heal, nor end their pain. They were adamant that countering one murder with a state-sanctioned killing would only prolong and exacerbate their suffering. The cumbersome legal process that leads to an actual execution, while necessary, also keeps the spotlight on the murder and especially the murderer, often for decades -- an agonizing process for families. Ultimately, they said, justice would be served by imprisoning the murderers of their loved ones.
Lawmakers considered many facts about the death penalty, including the exonerations of death row inmates due to the evolution of DNA evidence. The debate took place against the triple homicide in 2007 of the Petit family, in which two men were convicted last year.
The family members offered a measured response to those who said Connecticut must keep the death penalty to punish the men convicted for this terrible crime.
I have been a human rights advocate working to end the death penalty for more than a decade. During that time, some of these family members have become my dearest friends. They are mothers whose children were killed in street violence, young people who lost parents to domestic violence, and siblings whose brothers or sisters died violently. They helped me to understand how the death penalty actually hurts victims' families.
The pivotal moment came in 2004 when Michael Ross, the serial killer, gave up his appeals and the state scheduled his execution.
With others who oppose the death penalty on grounds that it is the ultimate human rights violation, I began organizing protests, vigils and marches against his execution.
Two women who lost loved ones to murder, Elizabeth Brancato and Gail Canzano, joined our cause.
As a psychologist, Gail had testified about the psychological trauma families experience during the long death penalty process, in which appeals can go on for decades.
Elizabeth was one of the leaders of a 27-mile march we organized from Hartford to the state prison in Somers, where the execution would take place.
The second day of the march coincided with the anniversary of her mother's murder. The dignity and grace she demonstrated -- and her resolve to fight capital punishment instead of disgracing her mother's name by supporting another killing -- profoundly moved us and inspired other relatives of murder victims to join our movement to abolish the death penalty.
Immediately following Ross' execution, one after another relatives of murder victims, inspired by Elizabeth, started contacting me and others asking how they could get involved.
As each told their stories, they encouraged others to step forward and the impact mushroomed.
By the start of the 2012 legislative session, 180 state residents whose family members had been murdered endorsed a letter sent to every Connecticut lawmaker in favor of ending the death penalty.
Ultimately, the families helped us win the votes needed to abolish the death penalty in the State Senate and House.
When Gov. Dannel Malloy signs the bill repealing the death penalty -- as he has promised to do -- we will celebrate victory with these individuals who, despite their unimaginable pain and sorrow, helped to convince people in Connecticut that compounding one tragedy with another is not justice.
Robert Nave is a high school social studies teacher in Connecticut and Amnesty International's Northeast regional/Connecticut death penalty abolition coordinator.
Follow Amnesty International on Twitter: www.twitter.com/amnesty
Dudley Sharp
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2012/04/victims-families-for-death-penalty.html
SUMMARY
Victim's Families Against the Death Penalty (hereafter "VFADP") are family members of murder victims who actively oppose the death penalty and are seeking its repeal (1).
I oppose their efforts, which are, intentionally, divisive and hurtful for murder victim survivors who believe differently.
The VFADP, a vast minority, are attempting to stop justice for the vast majority. I suspect the majority of VFADP members are not survivors of crimes which are death penalty eligible (1).
Instead of being divisive and hurtful, why can't VFADP just say, "we oppose the death penalty, but respect other family members who support the death penalty in their case."? VFADP won't support other victims in that fashion because their sole goal is to get rid of the death penalty, not helping or respecting any victims who feel differently but, in fact, working against them.
Instead, the VFADP are, actively, seeking to deny that right to those who find the death penalty just. Thus, the VFADP are, intentionally hurtful and divisive, when they need not be.
Your four errors (of many).
1) Ct repeal was successful only because there was a majority anti death penalty Democratic party legislature with a like tagged Governor, just as with all other recent state repeals.
They believe all murderers deserve to live, no matter how vile their crimes.
2) These families members can make no compelling arguement that the death penalty is not pursued for justice, just as all sanctions are.
The argument that the death penalty is sought for revenge is contradicted by the facts.
"The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/20/the-death-penalty-neither-hatred-nor-revenge.aspx
3) The death penalty is not a violates human rights violation. Both freedom and life are fundamental human rights, yet all human rights groups approve of incarcerating criminals, because they know the right to freedom is conditional and can be taken away, just as with life. Folks who don't like the death penalty say it is a human rights violation only because they don't like the sanction.
"The Death Penalty: Not a Human Rights Violation"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/20/the-death-penalty-not-a-human-rights-violation.aspx
4) It is the efforts of anti death penalty folks that caused the irresponsible delays and costs of the death penalty that were so hurtful to the families, not the death penalty itself.
Virginia has executed 75% of their death row inmates within 7.1 years.