Sessions death penalty amendment opposed

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) has sent a letter protesting a “misguided amendment” to the National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., would expand the reach of the federal death penalty, according to the letter, which urges removal of the “very harmful amendment.”

Sessions’ amendment was added to a hate-crimes provision the Senate adopted by unanimous consent as part of the Defense Authorization Bill. The letter of protest has been sent to the lead conferees working on resolving differences between the House of Representatives and Senate versions of the bill.

For more than 50 years, The United Methodist Church has unequivocally stood against the death penalty.

The letter went to the chairs of the two chambers’ Armed Services committees: Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

For more than 50 years, The United Methodist Church has unequivocally stood against the death penalty, according to the letter. The letter points out that the denomination’s 2008 Book of Discipline states:

We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore, and transform all human beings. The United Methodist Church is deeply concerned about crime throughout the world and the value of any life taken by a murder or homicide. We believe all human life is sacred and created by God.

“Any expansion of the federal death penalty stands in direct contrast to furthering the cause of civil rights in the United States,” the letter declares. “The death penalty provision in the Senate hate crimes legislation, which is part of the Defense Authorization Bill (S. 1390), must be removed from the final legislative language that Congress will consider.”

Failure to remove the death penalty provision will undermine the very premise of the hate crimes legislation, according to the letter, which is to increase civil rights protection.

The United Methodist Church “strongly supported” adding hate crimes legislation to the statute, according to the letter. It says the denomination spoke clearly in its 2008 Book of Resolutions on this issue by urging its members to “advocate for local, state and national hate crime laws that include any crimes committed based upon race, ethnicity, culture, status, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability and/or class.”

Besides being an inappropriate addition to the hate crimes legislation, the letter emphasizes that capital punishment has proven to be an unreliable, expensive means of punishment. The letter states that Congress should oppose any effort to expand its scope and reach.

“A troubling record of the death penalty being imposed on defendants who were later found to be innocent, along with a long history of racial and geographic disparities in its use, have spurred states to move away from its use,” the letter points out. “In 2007 and 2008, New Jersey and New Mexico abolished the death penalty, bringing to 15 the number of states, including the District of Columbia that have no death penalty.”

The letter notes that a similar provision was offered in the House Judiciary Committee version of the hate crimes legislation in April. That committee “wisely rejected” including the death penalty provision, the letter points out.

United Methodists Against the Death Penalty

The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) provides information about The United Methodist Church’s unequivocal opposition to capital punishment at Death Penalty.

Bill Mefford, GBCS director of Civil and Human Rights at the General Board of Church & Society, supervises a United Methodists Against the Death Penalty (UMADP) Action Network that provides legislative updates, educational resources and identifies opportunities to act on issues. He issues “Action Alerts” periodically through e-mail.

Joining the UMADP Action Network is free: go to umpower.org or click on My GBCS on the General Board of Church & Society Web site. You can also contact Donna Brandyberry, (202) 488-5641.

Bill Mefford can be reached at (202) 488-5657.