marafs's blog

Great News! Governor Quinn has received roughly 12,000 phones calls in support of repeal, and about 700 encouraging him to veto the bill. We are making a dent! Among those who have called Governor Quinn are Cardinal George, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and various other world leaders. And of course all of your phone calls as well! Thank you for your hard work and let's keep calling until Gov. Quinn signs the bill.

Read more in this article from the Chicago Sun Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/4079135-418/cardinal-george-world-...

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Yesterday, our bill sponsors in the House and Senate received the thank you cards that many of you signed at our recent events. We are so grateful for the courageous leadership that both Rep. Karen Yarbrough and Senator Kwame Raoul have taken in the effort to repeal Illinois' death penalty.

Now, we are still waiting for Governor Quinn's signature that will turn the bill into law. Repeal is near, so please keep the letters and phone calls to the Governor's office coming!

Before he'll make a decision to sign the legislation to repeal Illinois' death penalty, Gov. Quinn has said that he wants to hear from the people. He's getting hundreds of calls a day (from many of you!), received letters from Illinois and abroad and heard from Editorial Boards.

Let's make the voice for repeal loud on the Opinion Pages of local newspapers. Write a short letter this week (less then 250 words) about why you think you Gov. Quinn ought to sign the repeal legislation. In leiu of providing a stock sample letter, we're sending some guidelines that you may find useful. If your paper has a "speakout" section where readers can call in their opinion, please do so.

Let's give Gov. Quinn the support he needs to do the right thing.

CALL YOUR SENATOR AT THE CAPITOL AT 217-782-2000.

Editorial: Illinois Should end the death penalty

Jan 10, 2011 10:48AM

If a state insists on a death penalty, it does so with this knowledge: At some time and at some place, an innocent person will be executed.

No system is perfect, no system is free of mistakes. And that, above all other reasons, is why a state-sanctioned death penalty is unwise. A government cannot possibly impose capital punishment in a way that ensures it is on the right side of justice in every single instance.

The very idea of strapping someone to a gurney and injecting him with lethal drugs for a crime he did not commit should be sickening in a just society.

Last week, in a brave and stunning vote, the Illinois House of Representatives voted to abolish the death penalty in Illinois, 11 years after former Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium on executions. The bill now moves to the state Senate, where it could be voted on as early as today.