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Biden Fails a Death Penalty Abolitionist’s Most Important Test

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The mystery of Joe Biden’s views about capital punishment has finally been solved. His decision to grant clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row shows the depth of his opposition to the death penalty. And his decision to leave three of America’s most notorious killers to be executed by a future administration shows the limits of his abolitionist commitment. The three men excluded from Biden’s mass clemency—Dylann Roof, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers—would no doubt pose a severe test of anyone’s resolve to end the death penalty. Biden failed that test.
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USA | On Wednesday afternoon Governor Ralph Northam will sign legislation to abolish capital punishment in Virginia

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On Wednesday [Feb. 24, 2021] afternoon Governor Ralph Northam will sign legislation to abolish capital punishment in Virginia.

The signing ceremony will take place outside of Greensville Correctional Center in Jarrett, Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, March 24th at 2:00pm.

Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP) is allowed to have 5 people attend the ceremony. 

These 5 will be Jayne Barnard (VADP board vice-president), Jerry Zerkin (VADP board member & long-time defense attorney), Virginia Podboy (former VADP board member & our long-time lobbyist), Dale Brumfield (VADP Field Director), and myself.

We anticipate that VADP will have one of the speaking roles at the ceremony. 

If that is the case, our board vice-president Jayne will speak on behalf of the organization. 

We are working on remarks in case we have the opportunity.

You will have the opportunity to watch the ceremony in real time via a live stream.

Just click on these links at 2pm on Wednesday afternoon to witness history being made: 


or 


Without your financial support and advocacy, we would not have achieved our goal of becoming the 1st Southern state to end the death penalty. All of us at VADP are deeply grateful.

Sincerely,

Michael Stone, VADP Executive Director

Source: VADP, Staff, March 23, 2021


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Virginia, USA
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