Feingold Bill to Abolish Federal Death Penalty

Today on TruthOut I saw an item concerning legislation introduced by Sen. Russell Feingold to abolish the death penalty at the federal level.

As you probably know, since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty, the number of crimes that are punishable by death at the federal level has mushroomed.

I am opposed to the death penalty, perhaps more as a practical matter than as a moral question per se.  I respect the argument that certain crimes are so heinous that, arguably, no other punishment is adequate.  More below the staple.

Yet, I end up coming out "against," in part certainly because of the dangers of executing the innocent and the grave discrimination historically attending the question of who dies and who does not for a similar crime.  Perhaps above all, I think that the whole hoo-ha over the death penalty eats up, by far, too much of what passes for thought and discussion about all of the issues of crime, deterrence, rehabilitation, punishment, and so on in American society.

Thus, while I somewhat respect the solemn view that the death penalty perhaps ought to be available for a narrow class of crimes and the most remorseless of offenders, whenever I see a politician or ambitious prosecutor blathering that his or her pro-death penalty stance will significantly help to stamp out crime, or indeed that it constitutes more than one more turd on the dung-heap of violence in our society, I am filled with disgust.

Russ Feingold should be lauded for introducing the legislation that he has.

To all of the good reasons that he cites -- I will not quote them here, you can read them on TruthOut, and they will no doubt be arguments familiar to you, I would add one more

Namely, at a time in which the federal government has been taken over by persons of totalitarian bent, it is distinctly inadvisable to give such a government the power to execute anyone for anything.

While only three executions have taken place at the federal level, as the neotheocult seeks to harden its grasp on the reins of power, no doubt it will seek to expand the federal death penalty, and to broaden the definitions of those crimes that are death-penalty eligible under federal statutes.

Thus, one day blogging in a fashion critical of the "cons" might be equated with "terrorism," and qualify the miscreant for the death penalty.

This must not be permitted to happen, and I urge everyone to contact their members of Congress to urge support for Senator Feingold's legislation.

•  death penalty unconstitutional

  for all crimes less than murder. the federal death penalty includes non-murder crimes, but specific killings have to be some way involved for the statute to be valid. this particular ruling wasn't affected by the reenstatement of the penalty.

  btw, i'm against the death penalty, i just like to see arguments honestly framed.

  by gracchus on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:08:53 AM PDT

  •  Thank you for the clarification . . .

    . . . but I think we should still be concerned, as the neotheocons' power is sufficiently great, and the Supreme Court so pliant in their hands, that it's not a far reach from where we are now to going after people with skimpy, or fabricated, ties to "terror" where someone is killed.

    by proudtinfoilhat on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:35:26 AM PDT

•  Feingold in 2008!

  It's disgusting to see people here promoting Kerry in 2008, when there are Senators out there like Russ Feingold who actually stand up and fight for us, and fight for what's right.  Let's give credit where credit is due and cheer for Russ Feingold, a man who actually stands up and represents us!  

  by Asak on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:13:31 AM PDT

  •  nice guy, too

    i met him when he was a state senator

    by gracchus on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:14:50 AM PDT

•  Great issue, Bad wedge

       The death penalty is one of the most blatant examples of fundie stupidity. Too many Christians actually believe Jesus supported the "eye for an eye" doctrine when if they would just read their own Bibles they would see he condemned it.

  by Tomtech on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:26:38 AM PDT

  •  You're right, but . . .

    . . . support for the death penalty in the U.S., while very strong amount fundamentalists, is significant even among the heathen.  It's not just the far-right that supports it; even some people who are otherwise liberal do, too.

    by proudtinfoilhat on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:37:16 AM PDT

•  I have mixed emotions

  Would you have spared the life of Timothy McVeigh? or merely let the state of Oklahoma handle it?

  It's hard to argue that he didn't merit the death penalty.

  by stevetx6 on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:07:30 AM PDT

  •  Easy. I would have spared his life.

    You can't justify killing with killing. Murder should be illegal - even for our state and federal governments.

    by jmelli on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 08:23:57 AM PDT

•  Death penalty is a barbaric practice

  To me it is about revenge, not justice. And it certainly never proved to work as a deterent.

  In a way you signal as a society that life is realy not that valuable.

  Is still get sick when I think about an execution which was covered in the media when I lived in the US. People standing in front of the building waiting with hate posters, and cheering afterwords.

  Whatever this person did he probably has a mother or other relatives. It just seems like such a waste.

  I realy don't understand why this is still accepted in the US.  

   

  by amsterdam on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:21:48 AM PDT

•  Echoed

  My sentiments on capital punishment reflect your own, more or less.

  I think life imprisonment is a much harsher punishment anyway.  

  Still, I worry that Feingold, who I considered the best prospect for 2008, may have forever precluded a white house run, as blanket opposition to the death penalty will form a wedge with so many middle-ground voters.

  by baldandy on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:44:06 AM PDT

  •  bring it on

    I look forward to the day when Fiengold claims the mantle of "pro-life" by campaigning that the death penalty is immoral and goes against our values. We need to stop playing on their terms. Expose their hypocrisy.

    by jmelli on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 08:26:43 AM PDT