Today’s Trending on Twitter hashtags are #YesOn62 #NoOn66. These are related to the November 8 ballot initiatives: Proposition 62, which would abolish the death penalty in California & Proposition 66, which would ‘reform’ the death penalty instead. An article by Stephen Cooper discusses how these initiatives would function:
Californians for Death Penalty Savings and Reform“” an advocacy group spearheaded by district attorneys and several family members of murder victims” has collected enough signatures to qualify the “Death Penalty Reform and Savings Act of 2016”[PDF] for placement on the November 8 ballot. On July 1, California’s Secretary of State officially certified the measure, issuing it a number, “Proposition 66.” The group claims this initiative will “reform” California’s fractured death penalty and “speed up” executions in our state where currently 748 [PDF] men and women wait to die.
On the other side of the issue is “Justice That Works,” lead by Mike Farrell, the actor who starred in MASH, a longstanding death penalty abolitionist and internationally renowned human rights activist. Joining Mr. Farrell are an impressive array of politicians from across the political spectrum, religious leaders, attorneys, writers, artists” and just like the Californians for Death Penalty Savings and Reform group” influential law enforcement groups and the family members of murder victims. They too secured enough signatures to qualify proposed new legislation, Proposition 62, “The Justice That Works Act of 2016,” for the November 8 ballot. Proposition 62, they say, would: (1) replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole; (2) require death row inmates to work and pay wages to their victims’ families; and (3) save California taxpayers a projected 150 million dollars a year.
Many people on Twitter are outraged by the thought of speeding up the process of executing people whom often are mentally ill, poor, etc. just to ‘save’ the state money. They have made multiple tweets regarding their thoughts:
#NoOn66 #YesOn62 https://t.co/igCjLp0iVz
” work in progress â (@resedajohn) September 2, 2016
California voters can tip the balance in the #deathpenalty debate: https://t.co/8CHsnKyOHP #BrokenBeyondRepair #YesOn62 #NoOn66
” Equal Justice USA (@EJUSA) September 1, 2016
Mon, Oct. 3 at 7 pm: Free event in Davis – Come learn about the CA #deathpenalty ballot measures #NoOn66 #YesOn62 https://t.co/he4ICiaUMy
” ACLU of Northern CA (@ACLU_NorCal) September 1, 2016
Fight crime, not futility: Abolish #deathpenalty: https://t.co/sWagmYmEsw via @sfchronicle #YesOn62 #NoOn66
” Equal Justice USA (@EJUSA) September 1, 2016
#yeson62 https://t.co/iJfwUERH9M
” St. Camillus Center (@StCamillusCntr) August 30, 2016
Repeal the death penalty now! #YesOn62 pic.twitter.com/0POqPVgjNF
” John Halbert (@JohnTEQP) August 27, 2016
This man was just proven innocent by DNA after 25 yrs. Not possible under CA’s #Prop66 Vote #NoOn66 @NoOnCAProp66 https://t.co/yZ5y9g9jqZ
” Natasha Minsker (@nminsker) August 23, 2016
It is Real Progressives’ position that the death penalty should be abolished. It is the most barbaric form of punishment available, especially considering the number of people sentenced to death that have been found innocent later. We need to get together and fight the death penalty; not only in California but all across the nation as well.