International Death Penalty Abolition Day

Greetings Abolitionists!

(SUNDAY) - March 1st- is International Death Penalty Abolition Day, which marks the anniversary of the date in 1847 in which the State of Michigan officially became the first English-speaking territory in the world to abolish capital punishment. It is a day to remember the victims of violent crime and their survivors; it is a day to remember those killed by state sanctioned violence - guilty or not- and their survivors; and it is a day for intensified education and action for alternatives to the death penalty.

Abolition Day is especially exciting this year because so much is happening in state legislatures to advance our cause. Below are several things you can do to help. Please take action now!

#1 - Take Action in Maryland. (This action is for Maryland residents only. If you do not live in Maryland, please forward this to friends, relatives, colleagues etc. who you know who do live in Maryland.)

The Maryland Senate will vote on whether to repeal the death penalty THIS TUESDAY. The time to act is now! Email your Senator today at here!

Follow-up your e-mail with a phone call. The General Assembly switchboard is 1-800-492-7122 (toll free in Maryland) Tell your Senator to vote for a fair vote in the full Senate AND to vote for the repeal bill.

Background:

This past Friday, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted 5-5 on Governor O'Malley's death penalty repeal bill. For most bills, this would have been its end.

But there is just too much momentum in Maryland for repealing the death penalty - thanks to Governor O'Malley's leadership, the recent findings and recommendation of the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment, and people like you!

The Senate leadership has agreed to consider motions that will allow the bill to get a full Senate vote despite the committee's vote. We must win both the motions and the repeal vote itself in order to repeal the death penalty in Maryland.

Take action now at here and please forward this mailing to friends or colleagues.

All of our efforts to end the death penalty must come to bear this week!

#2 - Take Action in New Mexico! (This action is for everyone!)

Please IMMEDIATELY contact Governor Bill Richardson and thank him for openly reconsidering his position on the death penalty, and urge him to support HB 285 to repeal the death penalty and HB 211 and HB 284 to enhance support for murder victim families in our state. A short, hand written note sent in the mail is the single most important action you can take. You can also call or fax a letter, but please send your short note in the mail first.

Contact NM Governor Bill Richardson at:
Office of the Governor
490 Old Santa Fe Trail
Room 400
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Telephone: (505)827-3000
Fax: (505)827-3026

#3 - Make certain that you are on your state affiliate contact list so that they may reach you quickly and efficiently when it is time to contact your state legislators. Click here to learn who to contact in your state: here

Especially if you live in the following states, sign up and take action TODAY: Encourage people you know who live in those states to sign up also. Thank you!

Colorado - here
Kansas - here
Montana - here
Nebraska - here

#4 - Make a special Abolition Day contribution to support the work of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

Thank you!

Yours in the Struggle,

--abe

Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director of Affiliate Support
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
here
abe@ncadp.org