25 years ago the governor of Nebraska vetoed a bill that would have abolished the death penalty in Nebraska.
That's when Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty was founded.
In 1999 the legislature passed a moratorium that was vetoed by the then governor, Mike Johanns.
The legislature was able to pass legislation that approved a study that eventually showed that the death penalty was applied in an inequitable manner in Nebraska.
Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty have also been influential in getting legislation passed that made it illegal to execute the mentally retarded and juveniles. These laws influenced the supreme court to eventually decide that executing those two classes of individuals should not be executed in any state in the US.
It may seem, in most people's minds that Nebraska is not in the position to influence public opinion on an issue like the death penalty.
But we are on the frontline on this issue.
Nebraska is the only state that still has the electric chair as its only means of execution. This is an important point. Right now there are several cases in the courts in Nebraska that will likely change that history.
Why do I point this out?
It's important for us to be able to answer the arguments that will be brought up if the electric chair is shot down. If the electric chair is decided by the Nebraska Supreme Court to be cruel and unusual we will have a tremendous fight on our hands. We will have to fight off lethal injection.
The recent events in California will help us in that endeavor. But we need more help in getting that message out.
Most Nebraskans may not know what lethal injection means.
This is why I'm posting this.
We need your help to get this message out, in Nebraska.
I know you may not think that what happens in Nebraska will have a influence, but it does. Just imagine if Nebraska decided to abolish the death penalty. That would easily have a ripple effect across the country.
I'm asking for your help. Yes, this is a plea for money. And if I am breaking the rules of DailyKos in asking for money, I am sorry. But this is a way that you can help to change America. If Nebraska gets rid of the death penalty the rest of the country will sit up and take notice.
So here is the link:
http://www.nadp.net/...
It's a link to paypal. We don't have a lot of money to do anything that is fancier. If you donate, we will likely be able to move to a better online donation source.
A small donation from everyone who reads this will go a long way to getting rid of the death penalty in America.
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