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Special Series: How the Death Penalty Creates More Victims

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Mon Dec 18, 2006 at 05:41:04 PM EST
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Today the National Coalition Against the Death Penalty, in conjunction with Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights launched a two-week, ten-part series composed of excerpts of human stories from the brand new groundbreaking MVFHR report, “Creating More Victims: How Executions Hurt the Families Left Behind.” (pdf)

Each day will bring a different story. The series launched today and will run through Friday, Dec. 29th. You can follow it here.

Update: Say hello to the Florida Lethal Injection blog.

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    Special Series: How the Death Penalty Creates More Victims | 1 comment (1 topical)

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    I am conflicted over capital (none / 0) (#1)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 09:25:06 AM EST
    punishment, but I hardly find this to be a reason to ban it.

    Wendy, Jonnie, and Pam, the
    three surviving family members quoted
    above, offer a glimpse of the distinct
    and ongoing suffering to which
    Young refers. The relatives of these
    particular survivors were killed by
    state execution, and the survivors
    report feelings and experiences that in
    many ways resemble those of murder
    victims' family members.

    While I feel sympathy for anyone who loses a friend or loved one, I am more inclined to let the harsh side of my nature say to the author(s) of the report, look folks. The dead person was been convicted of a terrible crime. If anyone is responsible for the feelings of the friends/relatives, it is the convicted killer.

    I would also have no particular problem in pointing that out to the relatives, but see no reason to add to their problems. Sometimes things just need to be left alone for the good of everyone.

    What is left out is the damage caused by the rage of the victims friends when they feel that they have been ignored by the criminal justice system and society. Revenge is a very basic response to being wronged, and one of the basic tenets of a society is to remove the reason for revenge.

    Whether or not this is enough of a justification for capital punishment is a question. But it does point out that if you want to worry, worrying about the relatives and friends of the executed mirderer is not an exclusve activity.

    Special Series: How the Death Penalty Creates More Victims | 1 comment (1 topical)

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