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Death sentence is wrong

John Murcko Oakland
Thursday June 27, 2002

To the Editor: 

An open letter to Tom Orloff and his associate Angela Backers: 

Although the recent jury verdict in the death penalty case of the People vs. DaVeggio and Michaud is understandable in light of the heinous actions of the defendants, it is still wrong. 

You must remember the amount of power and the opportunity for example that you hold in the judicial system. Your glorification of the death penalty is not an example for the youth of our community because you only cheapen the value of life. 

Is there a difference between judicial killing and personal killing? I think not. Living in a Judeo-Christian society, our principals are to save life and not to destroy it. Your action in glorifying killing by the death penalty is amoral and outside of civilized society. No one deserves to die by the hand of the district attorney or that of a deprived killer. 

The United Nations Charter on Human Rights does not condone the death penalty. It does not deter crimes or reform the prosecuted. It merely continues the cycle of human violence. 

Please stop your violations of our citizens’ human rights. 

 

John Murcko 

Oakland