Letter to the Editor
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[New York Newsday decided to run it with edits on December 17, 2004]
Dear editor:
We in the faith community were delighted that the legislature made
some changes to the Rockefeller drug laws. However, we will not rest
until mandatory sentences are replaced with judicial discretion.
A consensus exists among religious denominations that mandatory sentencing
is immoral, violating the universal religious principles of justice
and mercy.
The following groups have a position against mandatory sentencing:
U.S. Catholic Bishops, National Council of Churches, United Methodists,
Evangelical Lutherans, Presbyterians (USA), United Church of Christ,
Unitarian Universalists, Episcopal Church, Reform Jews, Progressive
National Baptists, and many more.
Thousands of people are rotting in prison with rapists and murderers
for non-violent, low-level drug crimes because of these laws.
Judges should decide, on a case-by-case basis, how much prison and/or
treatment an offender receives.
We urge all people of faith to contact their legislators to ask for
mandatory sentencing repeal. That’s real Rockefeller drug law
reform.
Sincerely,
Charles Thomas, executive director, Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative
Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Steward, Antioch Fellowship Christian Center (Progressive
National Baptist)
Rev. Eddie Lopez, Jr., La Resurrecion (United Methodist)
Rev. John R. Long, chair, Dept. of Church and Society, Presbytery
of Western NY (Presbyterian)
Rev. Dr. Stanley Sears, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Plattsburgh
(Unitarian)
Rev. Bruce Southworth, Community Church of New York (Unitarian)
Rev. Timothy Behrendt, Courtland Unitarian Universalist Church (Unitarian)
Rev. David M. Bryce, First Unitarian Society of Westchester (Unitarian)
Interfaith
Drug Policy
Initiative, P.O. Box 6299, Washington,
D.C. 20015
Phone: 301-933-7681 Fax:301-933-7682 |
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