One hundred and fifty clergy members from various faiths mobilized Monday at 10 a.m. at the Westowne Square to oppose the advisory death penalty referendum.
The referendum, on the Nov. 7 midterm election ballot, would recommend the state legislature reinstate capital punishment, which has been abolished since 1847, in cases of first-degree homicide with DNA evidence.
It was the largest assembly of clergy in the Milwaukee area in ten years, said Marcus White, executive director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, the group which organized the event.
"There is a feeling of urgency about this issue and the clergy feel compelled to do something about it," he said.
Eight speakers, each from various faith backgrounds, presented their faith's opposition to the referendum.
The clergy members oppose the death penalty because they believe it attacks human dignity, does not deter crime, is more expensive than life without parole and disproportionately targets minorities.
According to Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, By Joe Boesen
One hundred and fifty clergy members from various faiths mobilized Monday at 10 a.m. at the Westowne Square to oppose the advisory death penalty referendum.
The referendum, on the Nov. 7 midterm election ballot, would recommend the state legislature reinstate capital punishment, which has been abolished since 1847, in cases of first-degree homicide with DNA evidence.
It was the largest assembly of clergy in the Milwaukee area in ten years, said Marcus White, executive director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, the group which organized the event.
"There is a feeling of urgency about this issue and the clergy feel compelled to do something about it," he said.
Eight speakers, each from various faith backgrounds, presented their faith's opposition to the referendum.
The clergy members oppose the death penalty because they believe it attacks human dignity, does not deter crime, is more expensive than life without parole and disproportionately targets minorities.
According to Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the death penalty is contrary to all faiths.
"The death penalty is simply immoral and our opposition is based in faith," Stumme-Diers said. "We look to the criminologists to confirm that the death penalty is not a deterrent of crime as we look to the sociologists to confirm that the death penalty unfairly (impacts) minorities."
The death penalty is an attack on the sanctity of human life, he said.
Suzelle Lynch, Minister of the Unitarian Universal Church West in Brookfield, supported Stumme-Diers' opposition to the death penalty.
"The death penalty damages the idea of human dignity," she said. "It is sanctioned killing."
Lynch said she moved from Washington to Wisconsin three years ago and appreciated that Wisconsin did not have the death penalty.
"Knowing that there was no death penalty provided comfort in serving my community," she said.
According to Louis Sibley, president of Milwaukee Inner-city for Allied Hope, society does not need to go backwards but needs creative and innovative responses instead of reinstatement of the death penalty.
According to Rabbi David Cohen, former president of the Wisconsin Council of Rabbis, Jewish law says that when justice cannot be certain, it is best left to God.
"Wisconsin voters should heed this wise advice," he said.
The Rev. Tonen O'Connor of the Milwaukee Zen Center represented another faith group present at the protest. He said that Buddhists believe in personal responsibility and expect punishment for crimes committed, but Buddhists are against the killing at will that the death penalty entails.
"We cannot ask the state to kill on our behalf," she said. "We must not legitimize killing and must not ask for killing in our name."
O'Connor said people who have committed crimes in the past can change, but only if the government policy lets them.
"I spent eight years at the Department of Corrections and I know that change can happen inside prison walls," she said. "The death penalty precludes any chance of rehabilitation and change."
Janan Najeeb of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition gave a speech about the lack of government responsibility.
"If the government has not fed and clothed its citizens, they cannot commit capital punishment," she said.
The number of minorities targeted by the death penalty is disproportionate, Najeeb said.
"The old saying is that those that ain't got capital, get punished," she said. "We need to make sure that it is not a reality."
The Rev. Jerry Herda, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, said the Catholic Church takes a strong stand against the death penalty and urges all Catholics to vote no on the referendum.