Light up the Colosseum: NM Abolishes the Death Penalty

Late last night, Governor Bill Richardson signed legislation abolishing the death penalty in the state of New Mexico!  This makes New Mexico the second state (New Jersey being the first) to abolish the death penalty since 1965. Today, we released statements from Reform Rabbis in New Mexico, celebrating the repeal.  They have all fought hard for this crucial step forward and their congregations are also organizational members of the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty.  So, how did the Colosseum make the headline of this post?  To celebrate “every time a death sentence is commuted somewhere in the world or a government abolishes capital punishment,” the Roman Colosseum is “bathed in light.” 

The lighting of the Colosseum is all part of the Cities for Life-Cities
Against the Death Penalty movement, created by the Community of
Sant’Egidio.  Just a few days ago, the Community of Sant’Egidio sent a
letter to Governor Richardson asking him to sign the repeal bill and
extending a formal invitation for him “to visit Rome…with a special
lighting of the Colosseum” to celebrate “the great step New Mexico is
undertaking.”

A few weeks ago, the Roman Colosseum was lit up in honor of a death
penalty repeal bill that passed the Montana Senate (though it still
awaits House passage).  Italy recently made headlines for becoming “the
41st European state” to completely abolish the death penalty, another
wonderful reason to light up the Colosseum.  This is an exciting day
for death penalty abolitionists worldwide and we are hopeful that this
trend will continue!

Governor Richardson’s statement upon signing the bill is available on
his website.  Here are what I found to be the highlights.
 

“… I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it
currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives
and who dies for their crime…

The sad truth is the wrong person can still be convicted in this day
and age, and in cases where that conviction carries with it the
ultimate sanction, we must have ultimate confidence – I would say
certitude – that the system is without flaw or prejudice.
Unfortunately, this is demonstrably not the case…

The bill I am signing today…replaces the death penalty with true life
without the possibility of parole – a sentence that ensures violent
criminals are locked away from society forever, yet can be undone if an
innocent person is wrongfully convicted….

From an international human rights perspective, there is no reason the
United States should be behind the rest of the world on this issue…In a
society…where justice and not vengeance is the singular guiding
principle of our system of criminal law, the potential for wrongful
conviction and, God forbid, execution of an innocent person stands as
anathema to our very sensibilities as human beings. That is why I’m
signing this bill into law.”