How to Respond:
Click here to email. Place "Death Penalty Statement" in the subject line.
In your e-mail please include your:
Name:
Title:
Religious Organization:
Phone:
E-mail:
Deadline is May 10, 2010 by noon.
Dear Members of HB 520 Study Commission:
We, the undersigned faith leaders, reflecting the rich diversity of faith traditions and spiritual practices observed in New Hampshire, stand together in expressing our opposition to New Hampshire's death penalty. As faith leaders, the public often seeks our guidance and direction on both spiritual and practical issues. As representatives of our respective faiths, we write to you today to ask you to support repeal of New Hampshire's death penalty.
As people of faith, we take this opportunity to reaffirm our opposition to the death penalty and to express our belief in the sacredness of human life. The use of the death penalty is a gravely unjust method of protecting society, given the capacity of our modern penal system to incarcerate offenders for life. The death penalty has no demonstrated deterrent effect that protects society, law enforcement or corrections officers within prisons. Moreover, the death penalty is applied disproportionately to the poor and people of color and the ever increasing numbers of exonerations shows that it is also applied inaccurately. This direct use of lethal means to protect society from unjust aggressors is unnecessary and unwarranted.
We have concerns about the way the death penalty fails murder victims' family members. As religious leaders, victims' family members often look to us as resources in the aftermath of murder. As such, we have a special interest in advocating for policies that serve their needs and promote healing and well-being. We believe that the death penalty does not help these families, instead, it prolongs their pain and delays their healing.
We write to voice our unease about the way our state's death penalty diverts funds from other needs. In light of the serious economic challenges that face our state and the nation, the valuable resources that are expended in pursuing death sentences would be better spent on programs that have been proven to prevent crime, such as improving education, providing mental health services, funding community corrections programs and putting more law enforcement officers on our streets. The funds would also be better spent supporting programs that assist victims of crime and their families.
It is our respect for human life and our opposition to violence in our society that prompts us to join with other death penalty opponents in New Hampshire to advocate for repeal of New Hampshire's death penalty. We urge you to recommend that capital punishment be repealed in New Hampshire and that state resources be devoted to prevention of crime and achieving healing and restorative justice for victims.
Sincerely,
Over sixty religious leaders including:
Rabbi Richard Klein
Temple Beth Jacob
Concord, NH
The Rev. Ted Asta, Associate to the Bishop
New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rev. Mary Higgins, District Executive
Northern New England District, Unitarian Universalist Association
Most Rev. John B. McCormack, DD
Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester
The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson
Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire
Rev. Gary M. Schulte, Conference Minister
New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ
Rev. Richard Slater, Associate Conference Minister
New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Peter Weaver, Bishop
New England Conference, United Methodist Church
We need to reach as many NH religious leaders as possible. Won't you please help us by:
---> Forwarding this to your religious colleagues.
---> Include the sign on letter as an agenda item at meetings with colleagues.
Join Other NH Religious Leaders Now
Act today! Thank You!
David Lamarre-Vincent
Executive Director
New Hampshire Council of Churches
PO Box 1087
Concord, NH 03302
(603) 224-1352
