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December 13, 2003
Honorable Governor Rod Blagojevich
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Governor,
With your assistance, Illinois
today has a comprehensive new death penalty reform law in place. It
took years of study and debate on the issue to develop the final
legislation, and we believe strongly that the effort will prove to
be worthwhile and innocent persons will no longer be placed on death
row. However, we also feel strongly that the time has come to lift
the moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois.
Every day, we hear or read about
violent crimes being committed in our state, like the tragic murders
of three children in Clinton, Illinois, last summer. As
representatives for the people of Clinton, who are mourning the loss
of these babies, we are deeply concerned that presently in Illinois
the most severe punishment those accused of their murders, if found
guilty, would receive is life in prison -- not severe enough for an
unthinkable crime as this. Some individuals commit crimes so heinous
that it would wrong for us to continue ignoring the seriousness of
their crimes. They must be appropriately punished for the pain they
have caused others.
We have done our duty to address
the problems of a flawed system, and that was only achieved by the
commitment of many hardworking individuals. Their work should not go
in vain, and the victims of violent crimes and their families today
deserve to have justice prevail. We ask you today to take the
courageous position of lifting the death penalty moratorium in
Illinois.
Sincerely,
State Representative
Bill Mitchell
State Senator
Bill Brady |
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