This week, Oklahoma Governor Stitt (Stitt) levied on death row inmate Julius Jones (Julius Jones) clemency, criminal justice reform advocates celebrated this. Jones was convicted of murder in 1999. He has always insisted that he is innocent, and Governor Stitt reduced his sentence a few hours before the original execution.
Stitt deserves praise. However, the facts determined by him proved that the system was damaged. The death penalty still exists is a failure of the policy, considering how serious its mistakes are. With the botched executions, we must not forget that more than 185 people were released from death row due to wrong convictions.
As conservatives, we must fight against this expensive, unfettered government power shrouded in secrets.
Indeed, we are. Although the media may advertise liberal celebrities and other similar people celebrating the reduction of Julius Jones’ sentence, across the country, Republicans Play a leading role in the country’s efforts to end the death penalty. They are using their conservative principles and good common sense to help end bad, outdated policies and move states toward smarter and smarter criminal justice systems.
For example, lawmakers in Crimson Utah are considering ending the state’s death penalty.Governor Spencer Cox, who previously expressed support for the death penalty, said that he is now “Reevaluate” his position on this problem.He joined Utah State Attorney David Levitt, Another Republican said that his office will no longer seek death penalty prosecutions.
As the District Attorney of Salt Lake County Singil, Who is also a Republican, pointed out that there is always the risk of executing innocent people: “If a pilot performs well only 90% of the time when landing a plane, we would say that this person should not fly,” so he put it . at the same time, Amelia Bowles Gardner, The Republican Commissioner of Utah County, pointed out that fiscal discipline was the reason for the abolition of the death penalty. “I am a fiscal conservative,” she said. “I like to reduce taxes as much as possible. When it comes to the death penalty, we are not only responsible for law enforcement, but also responsible for paying the defense and prosecution. This is a very expensive process.”
Michael Conroy/Associated Press Photo
This is not only happening in Utah. Driven by conservative values in finance, ethics, and culture, Republican-controlled state legislatures are rethinking the death penalty nationwide. The trend should lead us to oppose the death penalty.
Virginia abolished the death penalty in March 2021 with bipartisan support. Pennsylvania, Kansas, Wyoming, Kentucky, Georgia, Montana, Washington and Ohio all have Republican-sponsored bills this year, with a total of 40 Republican sponsors.
In Ohio, a state where the political weather vane has become very popular in the recent election cycle, former congresswoman and current state representative Jean Schmidt and Senator Stephen Hoffman are the main supporters of the Republican Party’s bill to end the death penalty. They are well aware that the death penalty contradicts their conservative beliefs.
Hoffman Expressed his thoughts From a moral point of view: “There is a person who should judge [a] Life, that is God.We should not execute them and become judges,” Hoffman said, while Schmidt admits How the death penalty affects people of color and economically disadvantaged people. Schmidt told reporters: “We recognize that people of color and poor financial ability are often more likely to fall on death row than those with financial ability or higher education.”
Utah and Ohio are preparing to continue the momentum to end the death penalty system, which will drain resources, disappoint the families of murder victims, and will not make anyone safer. Conservatives are at the forefront of these efforts, embodying common sense in complex issues. The passage of these bills will bring much-needed progress in the area of criminal justice reform policy.
We all hope that government spending is fair, safe and efficient. When we look closely at the death penalty, it is clear that it does not meet these standards. Republicans who pay attention to these principles are forming a national trend against the death penalty for others to follow. These efforts should be recognized and praised.
Had 23 states Abolish the death penalty. Utah and Ohio have the opportunity to go down in history as agents of change. I hope they can make the most of this moment, and many others will follow suit.
Demetrius Minor is a missionary, advocate, relationship builder and writer. He has been the head of the Florida American Coalition for Prosperity, where he worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The views in this article are those of the author.
