hmains21ahsgov

[hmains21ahsgov]

Blog Post #9 Final Infographic

[hmains21ahsgov]

Civic Action Assessment of Issue

In the future, I am willing to vote on propositions, sign petitions, contact government officials, and go out in the streets and protest to try to push for the abolition of the death penalty. A few days ago, I (and many other across the nation) sent an email to the president’s administration in an effort to stop the federal execution of Brandon Bernard. Unfortunately, Bernard was executed on December 11 after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal for the delay of his sentence. This is just an example of what one can do (and what I will do) to push for the abolition of the death sentence. Change will not come if we just sit back and wait. We must make our voices heard.

[hmains21ahsgov]

Legislative and Executive Action

1. The bill that I chose is the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2019. It is number 4022. It was introduced on July 25, 2019.

2. This bill was introduced to the House. It has not passed in either house.

3. This bill would abolish the federal death penalty. This would impact my civic action issue because it would abolish the death penalty on the federal level, which would be a step in the right direction.

4. This bill was sponsored by only Democrats. This would help the bill pass in the House because the house has a democratic majority, but would likely not help in the Senate because the Senate has a republican majority.

5. This bill was assigned to the House Judiciary and House Armed Services committees.

6. I would encourage my representatives to vote yay because it would be a step in the right direction towards getting rid of the death penalty.

7. The Department of Justice manages the federal response to my issue.

8. The Department of Justice’s mission statement is: “To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.” This relates to my issue as it mentions punishments and fair justice for all citizens. 

9. The secretary of the Department of Justice is William Barr. William Barr is also the current Attorney General. From 1973 to 1977, he served in the CIA and in 1977, he graduated from the George Washington University Law School. Barr served as Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel from 1989 to 1990, Deputy Attorney General from 1990 to 1991, and 77th Attorney General from 1991 to 1993. Barr was confirmed as the 85th Attorney General of the United States of by the senate on February 14, 2019. I would definitely consider William Barr qualified to lead the Department of Justice given the amount of experience he has. Considering Barr is Republican, it is likely that he does not support abolishing the death penalty, which would negatively affect my issue.

10. The Criminal Division would be suitable for my issue, and more specifically, the Capital Case Section, which is devoted to the death penalty. The Capital Case Section (CCS) oversees the Department of Justice’s capital prosecutions. The purpose of the CCS is to “promote consistency and fairness in the application of the death penalty throughout the United States” and to make sure Federal prosecutors dealing with capital cases have the correct resources and expertise available to them.

[hmains21ahsgov]

California Proposition Assessment

The proposition I chose is Proposition 62 from 2016, named “Repeal of the Death Penalty”

This proposition pushes to repeal the death penalty as the maximun sentence and replace it with life imprisonment without parole.

Fiscal impact: Net reduction in state and county costs related to criminal justice of about $150 million annually, give or take $10 million.

The election result was a majority for “No." This surprises me because California is a generally progressive state, so I am surprised that more people don’t support repealing the death penalty.

This proposition is supported by people such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Former President Jimmy Carter, as well as the democratic, libertarian, green, and peace and freedom parties. This proposition is also supported by the California NAACP, Rainbow PUSH coalition, ACLU California, and the California League of Women Voters. These supporters don’t surprise me, as the proposition seems to follow a more democratic narrative. This information can help voters understand that this proposition follows a more democratic agenda.

For: Will save $150 million a year, the death penalty is 18 times as expensive as life improsonment, the system is ineffective and broken, and the risk of executing an innocent person is real.

Against: Allows the worst murderers to live, the system needs to be fixed not repealed, denies justice to victims’ families, will cost taxpayers money instead of saving them money.

I would have voted “Yes” on prop 62, because I support the repeal of the death penalty.

One interesting fact is that the death penalty was reinstated in California by Proposition 7 in 1978. Since then, 13 people have been executed.

[hmains21ahsgov]

Political Interest Groups and PACs Assessment

Interest Group

One interest group that I believe represents my stance on the death penalty is the NCADP, or National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. The NCADP is a coalition of millions of Americans that are fighting to abolish the death penalty in every state. The website for the NCADP contains an “about us” page, an “about the death penalty” page - which outlines the negative effects of the death penalty, a “state by state” page, a “news and blog” page, a “take action” page, and a donate page. All of these sections provide insight into the reasons why they don’t support the death penalty, what can be done about it, and what they are currently doing to push the abolishment. The website also includes specific cases, such as Fabian Hernandez from Texas - who was scheduled to be executed in June - where advocates can reach out to state governors and express their stance against each case. For cases such as Hernandez, the site also mentions the current state of the inmate. Hernandez is currently still on death row but has not been executed. This interest group has smaller groups within every state. In California, one of the closest to me would be “Death Penalty Focus” which is located in San Francisco. I could not find any local meetings though, as it seems to be all online right now. There don’t seem to be any volunteer opportunities, other than protesting, but there is a donation page. Another thing I find interesting about their website is their “state by state” page, which includes an interactive map where states are labeled based off of their policies on the death penalty and the number of executions in recent years. 

Super PAC

One super PAC that supports the abolishment of the death penalty is the Real Justice PAC. This super PAC supports and fights for the end of the death penalty. During 2020, they have raised a total of $2.7 million and spent $3.3 million. When it comes to their independent expenditures, there aren’t any funds for either of the democratic or republican parties - this could mean that they don’t have a bias towards either party. Some of the largest donors for the Real Justice PAC is the “Open Philanthropy Action Fund,” the “Sixteen Thirty Fund” and “The Action PAC.” The Action PAC definitely seems to reflect some common interests as they advocate for a broad range of activism throughout the country - from the criminal justice system to race relations.

[hmains21ahsgov]

Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker, Green

I was unable to find information regarding their opinions on capital punishment, so I contacted them directly and am waiting for a reply. The Green party platform does not support the death penalty.

Donald Trump/Michael Pence, Republican

Although it is not listed on his information page, Trump is known to support the death penalty. I do not support his stance because I believe the death penalty is unnecessary. It is proven to be more expensive than imprisonment, and little evidence has actually been shown that it is a deterrent for crime. Trump supports the position of the GOP party platform.

Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman, Peace and Freedom

I was unable to find information regarding their opinions on capital punishment, so I contacted them directly and am waiting for a reply. The Peace and Freedom party platform does not support capital punishment.

Roque De La Fuente "Rocky" Guerra/Kanye Omari West, American Independent

I was unable to find information regarding their opinions on capital punishment, so I contacted them directly and am waiting for a reply. 

Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy "Spike" Cohen, Libertarian

I was unable to find information regarding their opinions on capital punishment, so I contacted them directly and am waiting for a reply. The Libertarian party platform does not support capital punishment, however.

Joseph R. Biden/Kamala D. Harris, Democratic

Biden supports the elimination of the death penalty. He supports this with the fact that over 160 people since 1973, who have received the capital punishment, have been exonerated after the fact. He also mentions that these people should receive life in prison instead. I agree with his stance because if the death penalty can’t even be reliable, on top of being too expensive and unnecessary, it should be removed from our justice system. His stance on capital punishment matches the stance of the Democratic party platform.

Example of my direct letters to the candidates

Dear (candidate),

The issue I am concerned about is the death penalty.  I am concerned about this issue because I think that it should no longer be a part of our judicial system.  I am currently a senior at Acalanes High School and I am researching this issue for my senior Government class.  Please clarify your stance on this issue.  Thank you so much for your time and good luck.

Sincerely,

Harrison Mains

harrison.mains21@auhsdschools.org

[hmains21ahsgov]

Political Party Action

Republican Party:

The republican party states that capital punishment is a is constitutional is it is written in the 5th amendment. The party also states that it condemns the “Supreme Court’s erosion of the right of the people to enact capital punishment in their states.” Essentially, the republican party supports it because it is a 5th amendment right. I do not agree with this stance because although it is written in the 5th amendment that capital punishment is lawful if due process is respected, I don’t believe that it is a necessary punishment or one that makes a positive impact on our country. I don’t disagree with the fact that it is written in the 5th amendment as something that is acceptable, but I do believe that it is unnecessary.

Democratic Party:

The democratic party statement about capital punishment is very short. Essentially, they just mention they continue to support the abolishment of capital punishment. I agree with this stance because I believe the death penalty is unnecessary, doesn’t reduce/prevent crime, and is too expensive - our economy would likely benefit without it.

Libertarian:

The libertarian statement is very short as well. Their statement about the death penalty goes: “We oppose the administration of the death penalty by the state.” Again, I agree with this stance as well for the same reasons that I stated above in the democratic party section.

Green:

The green party also briefly states that they would like to abolish the death penalty. For the same reasons as listed in the sections above, I agree with their statement.

Peace and Freedom:

The Peace and Freedom party has an identical statement to the green party, stating that they would like to abolish the death penalty. I agree with their perspective for the same reasons as above.

Reflection:

I agree with all of the parties except for the republican party. Like I said above, I believe the death penalty is unnecessary, doesn’t do anything to prevent/reduce crime, and is too expensive. I’m not surprised by any of the parties’ statements about the death penalty, as their perspectives about this topic have stayed the same over many years. I’d say I’m a little surprised that so many republicans still support capital punishment, as research shows that the death penalty system is much more expensive than life in prison. I don’t know if I would vote for all of the parties that support abolishing capital punishment, because I don’t know all of their stances on other topics. However, I would vote for the libertarian or democratic party as they not only reflect my position on the death penalty, but also my position on many other topics as well.

[hmains21ahsgov]

Media Assessment of Issue

Article #1: “Why Trump’s death-penalty focus won’t prevent mass shootings” -MSNBC (left-leaning) http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-trumps-death-penalty-focus-wont-prevent-mass-shootings

Subject: The main point of this article is to criticize Trump’s perspective on the death penalty, and to prove why he is wrong.

Author: Steve Benen- has written articles for mostly left-leaning publications, such as The New York Times and MSNBC, so one can expect a left-leaning bias. He has also received 2 Emmy awards for his work at MSNBC.

Context: The article was written on August 8, 2019. This affects the meaning of the source because it is still somewhat relevant news.

Audience: The article was published by MSNBC, which is a left-leaning publication company. This affects the bias in the article and the fact that the article was written in the first place, as it criticizes President Trump, who is republican.

Perspective: This article is subjective because it is more trying to prove a point or persuade, rather than report just plain facts. The author is trying to prove that Trump’s emphasis on the death penalty won’t actually prevent mass shootings. I agree with this perspective because I think that it is logical and also supported by facts, and it is personally what I believe in.

Significance: The largest piece of evidence in this article is that most people who commit mass shootings, don’t even live to see a trial. Another piece of evidence is that death penalty scholars and psychologists say that the people who commit these mass shootings are unlikely to be deterred by punishment.

Article #2: “The return of the federal death penalty” -The Washington Times (right-leaning) https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/sep/19/the-return-of-the-federal-death-penalty/

Subject: The central message of this article is that the death penalty is a positive thing for the U.S. to have, and that President Trump has the correct perspective on it.

Author: The author is Paul Davis. I was unable to find any other information about him, but he certainly has a right-leaning bias.

Context: This article was published on September 19, 2019, making it a relevant article to today’s news.

Audience: The article was published by The Washington Times, a right-leaning news company. Since The Washington Times is right-leaning, it is written for and attracts a conservative audience. This is also written for an audience who supports the current president. This certainly affects the bias of the article.

Perspective: This article is subjective, with a conservative bias. Tha author is making the claim that the death penalty is a necesessary part of our judicial system, and that it delievers the “final justice” to the victims. I personally disagree with this perspective because I believe this “final justice” is overshadowed by the fact that the death row process is much too long and expensive, and in the end, unnecessary. 

Significance: The article uses many quotes to further support its perspective, as well as the fact that some of the 5 death row inmates reported about at this time had tortured or raped children and the elderly.

Article #3: “Meth kingpin is third person executed by federal government this week” -USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/17/dustin-honken-third-person-executed-federal-government-week/5462083002/

Subject: The main point of this article is to describe the 3rd person who received the federal death penalty in a week, as well as the first two. The article describes why he was given the capital punishment, and why this is a significant situation. 

Author: The author is Courtney Crowder, an Iowa columnist who graduated from New York University. She doesn’t appear to have much of a bias going either way.

Context: This article was written on July 17, 2020, the same day as the 3rd person’s execution. This adds to the credibility of the article because it was written directly after the events unfolded. 

Audience: This article was published by USA Today, and is written for a moderate audience, or an audience that values unbiased news. This also adds to the credibility and objectivity of the article.

Perspective: The article is written from an objective point of view. The article doesn’t necessarily include competing perspectives, it primarily just states the facts and describes the situation. The only subjective perspective is included in a quote from the Attorney General, in which he praised the use of the death penalty in this situation.

Significance: This article includes quotes from the Attorney General, The Department of Justice, the convict himself, and others. The article also includes in-depth description of the situation that add to the objective display of information presented in the article.

These articles are very different as they offer separate (objective and subjective) perspectives on the same issue in America. Two of the articles offer perspectives that are used to conform to or persuade a certain audience, while one of them is more of a report of the facts, and less of an analysis. The main similarities between these articles would be that they are all written about the same issue, and they are all relatively credible. 

I identify most with the first article because it supports my beliefs of the death penalty, and also because it uses evidence to back up its claims.

[hmains21ahsgov]

Conceptualizing the Issue and Assessing Types of Action

I chose the issue of capital punishment because I believe that it should be removed from our criminal justice system, or at least undergo some sort of reform. I believe that the death penalty system is much too expensive, and in some cases, unnecessary. Capital punishment is a crime sentence in which the person found guilty is punished by death. It relates to the government because it is a part of the criminal justice system and the Judicial branch. I think that state governments and the federal government need to work to getting rid of the death penalty, or at least make some laws so that the death penalty is used much less than it is now.