Fortiani» (Observer
Page 6
November 30, 2011
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New Prices
Effective
May 1,2010
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V/o, AHP STöfF THE 99%
A/AEM
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Stopping Executions a Brave Move
Death penalty
applied unfairly
by
J udge G reg M athis
In a brave move, Or
egon Gov. John Kitzhaber
halted the upcoming ex
ecution o f death-row in
mate Gary Haugen. The
execution was to be carried out
Dec. 6 and would have been
Oregon's first in 14 years.
Kitzhaber did not stop there.
He announced a state morato
rium on executions. Calling the
state's death penalty system 'bro
ken', the governor declared that
executions would not be per
formed while he was in office.
Kitzhaber clearly recognizes
what m any have know n for
years: capital punishment is ap
plied unfairly and there is too
much room for error.
The death penalty works dis
proportionately against minori
ties, specifically African-Ameri
cans, who get executed at rates
much higher than our share of
the population.
There has been a resurgence
in the anti-death penalty
movement, renewed by
the injustice of the recent
Troy D avis execution.
Davis, a 42-year-old black
cans had grow n am bivalent
about. With so much doubt sur
rounding his guilt, it was unthink
able that the state of Georgia
would carry out the execution.
That reality struck a nerve with
many around the country. Per
haps it's because many of us are
aware that, in recent years, doz
nait executions Decause ot naw:
in the system. Illinois Legisla
ture banned the death penaltj
earlier this year. New Jersey
abolished it in 2007, and New
Mexico voters abolished it ir
2009.
Other states should follow suit
If you live in one of the 34 states
that use capital punishment, call
and write your state legislators
your governor.
Ask that they review theii
death penalty practices, and pul
a halt to the practice. Remind
them that research has shown
that executions do not detei
ens of death row inmates have crime, and that the hundreds of
been exonerated after DNA millions of dollars spent nation
evidence w hich proved they ally each year to execute a hand
were innocent of the crime they ful of offenders could be put
were convicted for.
tow ard funding schools and
If we can't be certain of the crime prevention programs.
legitimacy of the convictions, the
Judge Mathis is a longtime
practice must be halted. One advocate fo r equal justice. His
innocent person put to death is life story o f a street youth who
too many.
rose from ja il to judge has
Oregon isn't the first state to provided hope to millions.
’ There has been a resurgence in the
anti-death penalty movement,
renewed by the injustice o f the recent
Troy Davis execution.
X
man, was executed this past
September in Georgia. Davis
was convicted of the 1989 mur
der of an off-duty Savannah,
Ga. police officer. Although eye
witnesses from Davis' original
trial recanted or changed their
testimony, he was never awarded
a new trial.
Davis' execution refueled a
fight that many average Ameri