End the Death Penalty in PA

Call on the PA House to repeal the death penalty in the Commonwealth

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also...” Matthew 5:38-39

On October 31, HB999 passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support and now heads to the full House. Urge your representative to support ending the death penalty now.

Legislation to repeal the death penalty has been introduced every session since 2017, and this is the first time it is being brought to the floor for a vote. Now is the time to show your representatives you support ending the death penalty, and making Pennsylvania a place where restorative, not retributive, justice is sought.

The ELCA has long opposed the death penalty because it is not used fairly and has failed to make society safer. The 1991 Social Statement on the Death Penalty states, “For the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, following Jesus leads to a commitment to restorative justice. This commitment means addressing the hurt of each person whose life has been touched by violent crime. Restorative justice makes the community safer for all.”

PA governors have put an executive moratorium on executions since 2015, but that is dependent on the person holding the office. Currently 128 individuals are sentenced to death.

Write your representative using the form below. PLEASE INCLUDE A PERSONAL NOTE TO YOUR LAWMAKERS IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH. IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Recipients

Your State Representative or Representatives

Message

* Subject:

Dear [Decision Maker],

* Personalize your message

As a Lutheran Christian, and as your constituent, I write to urge you to vote in support of HB999, repealing the death penalty in Pennsylvania. The death penalty is not only unjust, but it fails to make society safer. Please stand on the side of real, restorative justice by ending it in the Commonwealth.

Currently 128 individuals are sentenced to death in PA. While there has been an executive moratorium on executions since 2015, it is time to end the possibility of this penalty with legislative action.

We do seek justice and an end to violent crime in our society; yet capital punishment makes no provable impact on the roots of violent crime.  Executions harm society by mirroring and reinforcing existing injustice, especially racial injustice and societal inequalities. The death penalty distracts us from our work toward a just society. It deforms our response to violence at the individual, familial, institutional, and systemic levels. It perpetuates cycles of violence.

Please be a voice that speaks up to end these cycles of violence. Help the Commonwealth be a national leader in seeking out real solutions to ending violence and supporting victims. Vote for HB999 and end the death penalty now.

Thank you for your service.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]

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