Jim Splaine: Repeal The N.H. Death Penalty

An important vote is being taken up by the State Senate on Thursday.  I sent this to a number of Senators.  Make your voice count on this important issue.  It's about New Hampshire.  - Jim

Dear Senator,

Like many of you, I have been involved in the discussion about the New Hampshire death penalty for a long time.  I served in the State Senate for six years back in the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, and we discussed the issue back then.  Obviously, it was controversial even in that day as it is now.   

In 2000, I was primary sponsor of House Bill 1548, co-sponsored by Reps. Jackie Weatherspoon, Jacqueline Cali-Pitts, Betsy Shultis, Lauren Jean, and Senator Burt Cohen.  It surprised many people by passing the House on March 9, 2000, on a vote of 191 to 163, then the Senate on May 18, 2000 on a vote of 14 to 10.  The next day it was vetoed by the governor. 

In those days, the issue came down to a belief that somehow having the death penalty was a political statement of being "tough on crime."  Regardless, political courage was shown by the House and Senate in passing the bill.  The governor had a firm belief that it was important to keep the statute on the books, and I have never been critical of her veto on the basis that it was a long-held conviction on her part. 

This year, you have to decide on HB 1170, introduced by Reps. Robert Cushing, along with Reps. Cebrowski, Rowe, Levesque, Williams, Vaillancourt, Warden, Souza, Wallner, White, and Sens. Cataldo and Lasky.  It passed the House earlier this year by a stunning margin of 225 to 104. 

In my years in the Senate as well as the House off-and-on since my first term in 1969 until my most recent term ending in 2010, I saw thousands of issues come and go.  A few -- a very few -- strike at the heart of what it means to be a citizen of the State of New Hampshire.  This is one of them.

I believe that most of us in this beautiful part of the planet feel that as a "state" and as a "nation," we should not kill another human being, short of defense in wartime to defend our liberties. 

When we use the death penalty, we do exactly that.  As citizens of New Hampshire, just having the death penalty statute in our laws is a statement that in the name of all of us, a person can be executed.

Right now, we are in league with Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and China in allowing the death penalty.  Most of the civilized world -- and most religions of Earth -- oppose the death penalty. 

For those horrible crimes by the worst among us, life-in-prison without any chance of parole is the worst and most deserving punishment.  Every day, living behind bars.  Never being free again.  Forever in jail.  Until death, in God's time. 

Political courage is doing the right thing without thinking about the polls or waiting for "the right timing."  I urge you to do the right thing by passing HB 1170 and abolishing the death penalty. 

Fourteen years ago, we failed by just a veto to be able to bring a victory for the great State of New Hampshire.  On the day this legislation is signed, that victory will have finally been achieved.