Feb 18, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) is urging the Michigan Legislature to vote against a constitutional amendment that would reinstate the death penalty in the state.
In a press release yesterday, the MCC expressed its firm opposition to the proposed legislation, stating that: “On the issue of capital punishment, as with abortion or assisted suicide, the Catholic Church has consistently advocated against the use of lethal means to solve social issues.”
MCC vice-president for public policy Paul A. Long said his organization “will vigorously oppose legislation that attempts to establish a culture of death in Michigan.
“We do not challenge society's right to punish the serious and violent offender,” he said. “But, to serve as an effective deterrent to crime, any punishment must be swift, sure and even-handed. Capital punishment fails in all these categories."