"Probably the most emphasized principle in all religions is that you should not kill. The contradictions in advocating killing a killer are too obvious to belabor. Case after case of the misapplication of justice, the “oops, too late” understanding of innocence after execution, the refusal to examine new evidence, the closing of the judge’s office early the day of the execution, and so on should be enough to make the procedure off limits forever.
It is well known that virtually all prisoners except for those confined for minor offenses, have been subject to childhood trauma and abuse. Why are we treating these victims as though they are something other than our fellow human beings? The common rationale, that it is a deterrent to crime, has been proven wrong statistically and by looking at our fair state of Texas where we execute more people than most nations. Has our crime rate dropped? Are we in anyway closer to a more lawful society than other states? Clearly capital punishment is not any answer to crime, and in fact, statistics show violent crime spikes after each execution.
What is seldom considered in this discussion is what the effect of these executions is on the population as a whole. I believe that we degrade ourselves with each and every execution. We become a people who violate their stated principles, who turn their back on those who most need help. However we try to distance ourselves from the taking of a life, we are responsible for it and in our hearts we know it. Nor is it the case that execution brings satisfaction or closure to victims or their families. Having realized this, many now travel the land to tell their stories to help other victims find peace and forgiveness and to end the cycle of violence.
As governor, I will commute every death sentence to life in prison."
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