As you already may know, over a few days ago, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill to abolish the death penalty. Nebraska hasn't enforced the death penalty since 1997 and lawmakers argue that even without the abolishment of the death penalty, "legal challenges" would stop them from doing so again. Governor Pete Ricketts plans to veto this bill and states that a majority of Nebraskans support the death penalty. In the legislature, 32 of the 49 state senators were in favor of this bill and it takes 30 votes to override a veto from the governor. In hopes Ricketts' does not convince some of the Nebraska lawmakers to change their mind on the matter, I am here to tell you why banning the death penalty would be a step in the right direction for Nebraska.
One of the most important reasons for why the death penalty is unethical is because of wrongful convictions. The possibility of taking an innocent life, and who are we to play God? We could take the religious standpoint and exclaim that it is morally wrong to kill another human being. It is inhumane to. Does this make us any better than these criminals convicted for doing a similar act? We put our animals down when they get old or sick to put them out of their misery, would we want to give these heinous criminals the same opportunity? For all we know these poor lowlife criminals want to die, and shouldn't give them that right. The alternative being life without parole, sentenced to death in incarceration. The death penalty use to be more cost effective when it was sure and swift but now a days, life without parole is the lesser because inmates on death row go through a long and complex judicial process including many appeals and trials (assuming to avoid wrongful convictions), stalling the final date of execution. This not only is costing more money but it also puts victim's families through trials for years awaiting justice for their loved ones. Life without possibility of parole is a simpler process that would shut away the criminal and would prevent having to spend so much time and money on a person, just to put them to death.
So who are we to decide who lives and who dies? If the state senators override the anticipated veto, Nebraska would become the first conservative state to repeal the death penalty since North Dakota in 1973 making us the 19th state to abolish the death penalty. If you feel compelled, write and call your state senator and tell them to stand strong to repeal the death penalty.
http://nebraskalegislature.gov/senators/senator_find.php
