George,

I support the complete abolishment of the death penalty. Study after study (the most recent, in Illinois) indicate that it is virtually impossible to insure a system that is not flawed or that innocent human beings will not be put to death.

I suggest that anyone interested in further studies of this scourge of our society contact Mr.Sam Gross at the University of Michigan Law School*. He has done exhaustive research on the subject, is not doctrinaire or moralistic about the subject; however, his studies reveal, among many other things, that law enforcement is often so eager to get a homicide resolved, that they will mislead the defendent, tamper with evidence, use phony,"eye-witnesses", employ jailmates who have much to gain from their false testimony.

The entire process is rife with unfairness; bad, often incompetent court appointed lawyers, with little interest in the welfare of the accused, poorly represent the interests of the accused. A jury selected because they adamantly support the death penalty (studies show most capital case juries have a propensity to find guilt before the trial begins)!

The affluent have little risk of the imposition of the death penalty, so, the most extreme penalty falls largely on the indigent and uneducated.

Race plays an important role also, with African Americans more likely to be sentenced to death at a ratio of up to ten to one if it involves the murder of a white woman.. ..the opposite.. ..white killing a black, will normally carry a lighter sentence. (Texas recently sentenced two white men to death for dragging a man to his death behind their pickup truck-it marked the first time in the history of Texas that whites were sentenced to death for murdering a black).

The US should be the world leader in fairness and accuracy in the arena of jurisprudence, but,on the contrary,when it comes to the death penalty, we are trailing most of the industrialized world. In fact, we are more closely identified with countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

Legal killing is not synonymous with justice. I am disappointed that Meredith Richards has taken a pro death penalty stance. I don't expect much from Virgil Goode. He is from the "Gilmore-Bush" Dark Side world. However, it is long past due that we start somewhere to bring this state, this nation, into the 21st century. If losing an election can finally put this issue before the conscience of a society, let us say it got a boost here.

Harry Tenney (electronic mail, September 4, 2002)

* UCI News Release: 03/13/02 Death penalty experts convene at UCI for symposium - bios