Change of heart: Birmingham News now opposes death penalty

quaoar

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Thu Nov-17-05 12:00 AM
Original message

Change of heart: Birmingham News now opposes death penalty

The paper ran a six-part series on the death penalty last week outlining its change of editorial stance.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/113127255523690.xml&coll=2

It's a matter of law that deeply troubles The News' editorial board. After decades of supporting the death penalty, the editorial board no longer can do so. Today and over the next five days, we will explain our change of mind and heart.

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Charlie Brown

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Thu Nov-17-05 12:04 AM
Response to Original message

1. in a Klan stronghold, that's pretty bold n/t

Edited on Thu Nov-17-05 12:05 AM by Charlie Brown

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quaoar

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Thu Nov-17-05 12:07 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. It's not a Klan stronghold

In fact, Birmingham has had a black mayor since 1979.

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Erika

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Thu Nov-17-05 12:07 AM
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3. Not to be disrespectful but Alabama seems to be changing

For the good. It has been proven many times that the death penalty has no affect on the crime rate.

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salib

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Thu Nov-17-05 12:44 AM
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4. Suddenly Alabama looks better than Kansas

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PDJane

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Thu Nov-17-05 01:11 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. have never supported

The death penalty. It's not a deterrent (I seem to remember that California was the only place that the murder rate didn't go down when the death penalty was abolished, but I digress).

I don't trust the legal system in any country well enough to give them the power of life or death.

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quaoar

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Thu Nov-17-05 12:26 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. I agree that it is not a deterrent

And here is an irony about the death penalty in America:

If you are poor or of average financial means and you have been wrongly convicted of murder, you have a better chance of being eventually exonerated if you are sentenced to death rather than life in prison.

Condemned inmates have foundations and pro bono attorneys who take up their cause on appeal. Lifers don't have that, so if you don't have the money to hire good lawyers, you're screwed.

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