Abolish the Death Penalty in Colorado

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Author: Maggie Kakenmaster

Started: May 15, 2008, 2:49:55 pm

Target: Colorado government

Category: Civil & Human Rights

Supporters:

Goal:

100,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

The first recorded victim of capital punishment is Captain George Kendall in 1608. Capital punishment was introduced to the Native Americans when the British colonists first settled in America. He was convicted of being a spy for Spain and punished accordingly, as was common in that time. Every state in America upheld capital punishment until the mid-nineteenth century. By 1917, six states had outlawed the death penalty completely and three states limited its assignment to crimes of treason and murder of a law enforcement official. After much scrutiny and revoking and reinstating of capital punishment, the United Nations constructed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. At the time, it was interpreted to only exclude juveniles, the elderly, and pregnant women from capital punishment and therefore agreed to by the United States of America, but the standards of decency of the United States of America have been since raised and capital punishment has come to be questioned again.

We, the undersigned citizens of the state of Colorado, would like to petition its government to reconsider the cruel punishment of death applied to convicted felons.

It is understood that these felons are incredibly dangerous and may harm others if left alive. But, as it stands today, the fate of each person in question is left up to a jury and a judge – who may easily be affected by personal events and feelings. Subjective judging is a major possibility in all criminal cases, but when a person’s life is on the line, it is unacceptable to allow even the possibility of a subjective ruling.

The United States of America signed – and consequently agreed to uphold – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, put together by the United Nations. This very document, agreed to by the United States of America, states plainly in Article Three: “everyone has the right to life”. Everyone, including convicted criminals, has the right to life according to the United States government and we urge you, the fine governing body of Colorado, to uphold each and every piece of this declaration.

Article Thirty of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “nothing in this declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein”. As an agreeing body to this declaration, the United States of America is bound to uphold each and every article of it. This is understood to mean that no person has the right to take the life of another, no matter what crime was committed beforehand by any party.

Please, Colorado government, reconsider and revoke the death penalty and allow everyone to the right to life.