ProDPinNC: Rebuttal: DEMETRIUS MINOR, Conservatives Concerned About The Death Penalty

7/2022

Full Rebuttal: DEMETRIUS MINOR, National Manager, Conservatives Concerned About The Death Penalty (CCADP)

To: Newsweek Editors, US and Intl.

bcc: all editors, Washington Examiner

The Family Vision Media and Project 21

bcc: DEMETRIUS MINOR, National Manager for Conservatives Concerned About The Death Penalty (CCADP)

many others

RE: Full Rebuttal:

"My Fellow Pro-Life Conservatives: Join the Fight Against the Death Penalty", Opinion, DEMETRIUS MINOR, NEWSWEEK, 7/13/22

Minor is National Manager for Conservatives Concerned About The Death Penalty (CCADP) and s content creator for The Family Vision Media and a Project 21 Member.

From: Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom

I quote Minor then reply as Sharp.

Preface: Since its founding, in 2012/2013, anytime you hear from CCADP, fiction, deception and/or willful ignorance are on display (1). Minor is a standard National Manager (1) for CCADP. I have been sending CCADP reviews, like this, to CCADP and many others, since 2013 (1).

CCADP is owned and controlled by Equal Justice USA, a liberal defund the police group (https://ejusa.org/defundingthepoliceprimer/ ).

1) Minor: "I realized long ago in a conversation with my pastor that being pro-life is about the totality of life, not just the beginning of life. That conversation gave me a moral sense that the death penalty is wrong." " The pro-life fight continues, and we have the opportunity to sustain momentum, but this must be done with reverence for the totality of life . . ."

Sharp: For 4,500 years (biblical timeline), the death penalty has had religious support, starting with Genesis 9:6. Anti-death penalty teachings did not occur, in major Christian denominations, until the 1950's, with the Roman Catholic Church not joining that chorus until 2018 (2).

Did the bible or basic theology, suddenly change? Of course not (2).

Through today and for more than 2000 years, there has been Christian New Testament support for the death penalty, from Genesis to Revelation, from Jesus to St. Dismas, from the Holy Ghost to Popes, Saints, Doctors and Fathers of the Church, church leadership, biblical scholars and theologians that, in breadth and depth, overwhelms any teachings to the contrary (2), particularly those wrongly dependent upon secular concerns such as defense of society and the poor standards of criminal justice systems in protecting the innocent (2).

Please forward this to Minor's pastor.

2) Minor: "(The) death penalty is misaligned with conservative values like individual liberty, limited government, the protection of the innocent, and of course, the conservative belief that we protect life. Opposing the death penalty is the best way to stay true to conservative principles." " We can abolish the death penalty, that is unquestionably anti-life."

Sharp: Minor is all nonsense, opposite reality.

-- Murder is the ultimate violation of individual liberty. Obvious. Murder is a transgression so great that the payment for it is the loss of life for the murderer. See Libertarians: Death Penalty Essential To Justice (3).

-- There is no government program more limited than the death penalty. 0.00075% of US citizens are on death row; on average, we execute 0.0000084% of US citizens (murderers) per year and death row prisoners make up only 0.04% of criminals under government supervision. Is there a government program more limited, that affects fewer than 2500 persons, death row, today? No.

-- The death penalty protects innocents, in three ways, better than does life without parole (LWOP) (4).

-- Minor is clueless that conservatives protect innocent life, as they believe in self defense, defense of others, in just wars and executions, all against unjust aggressors.

3) Minor: "Death penalty trials are more expensive . . the execution itself costs millions."

Sharp: Does CCADP, ever, fact check /vet anything? Do they think? Not here. Minor, look at the cost studies for California, Texas, Maryland, Nevada, to start (5). As a rule death penalty trials are more expensive than LWOP trials, but not always . . . , and you must take a look at all costs -

a) only, with the death penalty can you plea bargain to LWOP, a huge cost savings;

b) with LWOP, you will have 40-60 years of maximum security cell costs (up to $176,000/yr/prisoner in California);

c) 20-40 years of huge geriatric costs ($80,000/yr/prisoner in California). and

d) responsible death penalty protocols would have huge cost savings - since 1976, Virginia has executed 113 murderers, within 7 years of appeals on average, or 2-3 years per the three primary state and federal courts (SCOTUS is very rare). Don't conservatives prefer responsibility? Likely not CCADP.

e) there is no execution that has cost a million dollars. Totally absurd, as you would not know, as you did not fact check/vet.

4) Minor: "This is a reason why many police chiefs rank the death penalty last among public safety tools that are effective in neighborhoods and communities."

Sharp: It is, only, last depending upon the choices given, as detailed. The study you are referencing finds that 92% of police chiefs support the death penalty (6). You left that out because . . . ?

5) Minor: "Despite the vast resources put into it, capital punishment doesn't even make us safer."

Sharp: First, the death penalty is provided for justice and, secondly and very important, the death penalty protects innocents, in three ways, better than does life without parole (LWOP) (4).

6) Minor: "The money spent on the death penalty would be better spent on training and resources for law enforcement, on services for victims' families, on mental health services and violence prevention initiatives. . . building better relations between law enforcement and the community . . . lead(ing) to understanding and respect on both sides and ultimately create safety." " We can also do so much more for the family members of murder victims . . . providing them with true healing services . . . that we are concerned about increasing the quality of their lives . . ."

Sharp: Obviously, all of which should occur with or without the death penalty. Minor is unaware.

We can all see how well Illinois has accomplished all that, since abolishing the death penalty, and with defund the police . . . and defund the police Seattle no longer investigates nor prosecutes adult rape cases (7). Understanding and respect require honesty, which CCADP does not do well. Obvious.

7) Minor: "The death penalty causes those families to face uncertainty through years of litigation and appeals processes, making life unbearable and painful. In seeking justice through the death penalty, we end up creating a conduit for anguish and trauma. "

Sharp: The death penalty does not do any of that. Bad management does. Don't conservatives (and liberals) want good management? Since 1976, Virginia has executed 113 murderers, within 7 years of appeals, on average.

8) Minor: "Finally, the death penalty has claimed the lives of too many innocent people. DNA evidence has led to many exonerations, but even DNA evidence isn't always a guarantee for justice because DNA isn't available in many cases, and sometimes prosecutors fight tooth and nail to prevent the evidence from being entered. How can we claim to be pro-life and yet be comfortable with the fact that many lives have been maligned and victimized by a criminal justice system that has failed to represent them? When we get it wrong once, it's one time too many."

Sharp: Possibly, we may have proof of innocents executed, as recently as 1915.

Since 1973:

Some 20,000 additional innocents have been murdered by KNOWN murderers that we have allowed to murder, again - recidivist murderers and

Some 500,000 additional innocent have been murdered by those KNOWN criminals that we have allowed to harm, again - recidivist criminals.

I guess one isn't too many for Minor? Where are the innocents at risk? Think.

I have been sending CCADP reviews, like this, to CCADP and many others, since 2013 (1).

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