Monday, December 17, 2007

New Jersey Repeals Death Penalty

This morning as I was driving and listening to NPR, I heard a story that gives me hope for our country. The state of New Jersey has decided to repeal the death penalty and instead opt for a life without parole sentence.

New Jersey becomes the first state in a decade to repeal the death penalty and in the words of the governor of New Jersey, John Corzine, "Today New Jersey is truly evolving. I believe society first must determine if its endorsement of violence begets violence, and if violence undermines our commitment to the sanctity of life. To these questions, I answer yes."

It is heartening to see that a few people understand how damaging to society the death penalty really is. State sponsored killing affects everyone, and study after study show that executions rarely serve as a deterrent. Now if we could just get Texas to take that step.

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