CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CALLS FOR LEGISLATION HALTING EXECUTIONS

[genius]

The young writer of the resolution and of the article tells why the California Democratic Party's opposition to the death penalty is supportive of both Kerry and Kucinich. She also discusses the commitment that Congresswoman Maxine Waters has to protecting the innocent.

It's good to see the Democratic Party returning to its soul.


POOR TERMINATOR! CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CALLS FOR LEGISLATION HALTING EXECUTIONS
By Natasha, age 12

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the California Democratic Party encourages the California State Legislature to enact legislation calling for a moratorium on the death penalty until it can be conclusively determined that no individual on death row, or likely to be sent to death row, is innocent and until we can ensure that no one will receive a death sentence as a result of his/her race, socio-economic status or geographic location. -Resolve clause of the California Democratic Party’s new moratorium resolution adopted Sunday, May 2, 2004.

The Terminator better watch out. His terminating days may be numbered. The California Democratic Party is uniting behind its new hero, Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Waters, speaking to a thunderous applause, helped sway the California Democratic Party to adopt a new resolution calling for sweeping legislation, which, if enacted soon enough, certainly will put a halt to all currently planned executions in the state.

This writer, as the author of the moratorium resolution (which went through changes, some with the assistance of Mike Farrell), was more than a little vested in seeing the resolution become official party policy. As a child, this writer is outraged that the adults in our society would even consider executing someone who might be innocent. America is supposed be a country of equal opportunity and yet rich, white people are not making up their fair share of death row inmates. The fact that the death penalty has become a tool for legalized killing of minorities and the poor does not speak well for the adults in this society. This writer has written two previous articles for this forum {1) documenting the abuses and dangers of the death penalty.

California Democrats received a wake-up call earlier this year. This was months after the moratorium resolution had unanimously passed the 69th A.D. and sat waiting for approval by the state party. On February 10, 2004, Kevin Cooper (an African American) was almost executed for a crime, which substantial evidence shows was committed by three white men. The survivor even told the police that the perpetrators were white and that Cooper was the wrong man. Exonerating evidence was withheld from the jury and from the defense. In the end, jurors who had voted to convict joined in appealing the case. Arnold Schwarzenegger broke with normal procedure in refusing Cooper the customary clemency hearing. Apparently, the Terminator couldn’t get this innocent man terminated fast enough. The 9th Circuit granted a last minute stay. However, California Democratic Attorney General Bill Lockyer, appealed the stay to the Supreme Court – to the dismay of a great many Democrats who wanted this innocent man to live. This should not have been surprising as Lockyer voted for the California Terminator. Fortunately for justice, even the Supreme Court, which had appointed Bush as President in 2000, wasn’t willing to stoop to executing Cooper. Instead it supported the 9th Circuit’s stay of execution. This Supreme Court has been more than willing to execute innocent people in the past because of missed deadlines and it should be commended for doing the right thing in the Cooper case.

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http://debateusa.com/featured/hull_richter.htm

[genius]

1. This also made today's Democrats.com

Good work, Natasha.

[redqueen]

2. Wow

She's amazing.

:kick:

[genius]

3. Dennis is absolutely right about the death penalty.

The death penalty was a lot of the reason I switched from Dean to Kucinich.