Sunday, May 17, 2015

OUR VIEW: Senator Ebke, Legislature Should Uphold Death Penalty


Ordinarily, we limit the subject matter of this blog to the news of Dorchester and Saline County.  But with the Nebraska Legislature apparently set to do away with the state's death penalty, we want to expand our scope for this post.

According to the Omaha newspaper, Nebraska's state senators on Friday voted 30-16 in support of Senator Ernie Chamber's bill to end Nebraska's death penalty.  This despite the revelation from Governor Ricketts that the state will soon have the drugs to carry out executions again.  It looks like the legislature will take up the bill for a final vote this week.

The Legislature's death penalty repeal doesn't appear to be a religious movement, but is instead being carried out in the name of secular opposition to capital punishment, led mostly by atheist and race-obsessed Ernie Chambers -- the same guy who said earlier this year he'd shoot a police officer.

Here's what shocks us most:  State senators -- who are charged with representing the citizens of Nebraska -- are about to repeal the death penalty days after a horrific pair of premeditated murders in Omaha.  We're referring to the killing of 4-year-old Josue Ramirez-Marinero (who was alive and asleep when he was yanked from his car seat and tossed over a bridge into the overflowing Elkhorn River) and his mother, who was stabbed and beaten to death, both acts committed by her 25-year-old son.

It's worth noting also that repealing the death penalty would come less than two years after Nikko Jenkins -- who smirked and laughed as prosecutors recounted details of his victims' deaths -- pulled Andrea Kruger, a mother of three who was driving home from her job to tend to a sick child, from her car in Omaha and shot her in the head, neck and back, killing her in the middle of the road.  This is the same Nikko Jenkins who has been found guilty of executing at least three others in Omaha.  

Without the death penalty, Jenkins and the killer of Josue Ramirez-Marinero (and these other savages) will get to live the next 30, 40 or 50 years being fed well each day in comfort -- all expenses paid by state taxpayers.  Worse, there's always a chance these wastes-of-flesh will walk among us again so long as they possess a pulse.

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Survey conducted by KETV.
For those who wish to make the death penalty a religious issue -- and those who do are usually the first to cry "separation of church and state" -- the Bible clearly teaches the legitimacy of capital punishment.

For those who say capital punishment is not an effective deterrent, there are plenty of us who believe it indeed deters some from killing innocent Nebraskans.  And we'll venture a guess that violent crime in Nebraska will increase if the death penalty is repealed.  

That said, the point of capital punishment is not only to deter but to uphold the sacredness of innocent human life.  
A society that bans the death penalty shows it no longer reveres innocent life the way its forefathers did. Instead, it sends a message of moral confusion -- that it has become a soft society that lacks the fortitude to deal with evil. 
By doing away with the death penalty, the State of Nebraska will advertise to all killers that no matter what they do to our children, women or elderly, their lives are safe and secure -- guaranteed by the state. The worst punishment they will get is three square meals a day in a comfortable cell provided by law abiding Nebraskans.
And keep this in mind:  According to the news we've read, this repeal of the death penalty would come after the legislature chose to raise the gas tax; legalize medical marijuana; and water down minimum sentencing laws for habitual criminals -- those who've been caught and convicted of committing three or more serious crimes.

What in the world is going on at the state capitol?

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We're disappointed that state Senator Laura Ebke of Crete was among the 30 senators who voted to end the death penalty, as well as go soft on habitual criminals.  We'd bet our blog's masthead that if a public vote were held, capital punishment would be favored by 80% or better in Senator Ebke's legislative district, and more than 70% statewide.

Readers who care can call or e-mail Senator Ebke and tell her to reverse her votes on repealing the death penalty and aiding habitual criminals.  Her office phone is (402) 471-2711 and her e-mail is lebke@leg.ne.gov.  (To see which 30 senators voted for repeal of the death penalty, click this link.  For a list of all senators and their contact information, visit the legislature's website.)

At the end of the day, state leaders have only a handful of key responsibilities they must fulfill.  One is to keep the public safe from the bad guys by any means necessary.  If they can't do that, they should step aside to make room for someone else who has the moral courage to do so.

17 comments:

  1. Law and order is the most important function of state government. Senator Ebke will NOT be getting my vote if she runs again.

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    1. Mine either, but I had dealt with her prior to the election and there was no way she would have gotten my vote then either. The will of the people is not abided by in this state. The Legislature doesn't pay attention when we speak, even when we vote on an issue they nullify the results. The death penalty is the only deterrent for some criminals. Maybe a move to Texas is in order.

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    2. FORGET THAT! Those state senators can move to Texas, I'm staying. I'm tired of traditional conservatives always saying we gotta move. It's time to take a stand and beat back these liberals who are always imposing their will on the majority and using guilt or the media to get their way!!

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  2. we ask for lower taxes,,, they raise them

    we ask for tougher laws against lawbreakers,,, they go easy on them

    i thought this was supposed to be a conservative legislature . thats what the newspapers told us last november!!!

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  3. The Dorchester Times should not have singled out Laura Ebke if 29 other senators voted to end the death penalty. Just my 2 cents.

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    1. Fair enough, although we did include a link to the legislature's site that disclosed the names of all senators who voted to do away with Nebraska's death penalty.

      Here is the complete list:

      Baker, Crawford, Hansen, Kolterman, Nordquist, Bolz, Davis, Harr, B., Krist, Pansing Brooks,Campbell, Ebke, Hilkemann, Lindstrom, Schumacher, Chambers, Garrett, Howard, McCollister, Seiler, Coash, Haar, K., Johnson, Mello, Sullivan, Cook Hadley, Kolowski, Morfeld, Williams.

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    2. She represents this district.

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  4. As you know, a bill can be filibustered (talked to death) unless 33 senators vote for cloture, to stop debate. A filibuster was in process on Thursday. It could have succeeded, killing Ernie’s bill, but here’s where it gets interesting. Suppose you want to tell the folks back home you voted to keep the death penalty, but another senator told you he would support one of your bills if you would just vote for cloture. Wonderful. You trade your vote for cloture, which is a vote to repeal the death penalty, for help with your bill. Debate stops.

    THEN there is an actual vote on the bill. Since they don’t need all 33 votes to advance it, you can now vote against the bill, to keep the death penalty.

    What just happened? You voted against the death penalty to keep Ernie’s bill alive. THEN you voted against the same bill (for the death penalty), knowing the other side had the 25+ needed to win. Wasn’t it John Kerry who coined the infamous “I was against it before I was for it?” That cute little maneuver let a few senators vote with the libs first, to gain support for their pet bill, but now lets them tell you folks back home that they voted with the conservatives.

    Who would actually do that? Appearances say there were at least 4 - Gloor, Larson, Schilz, Smith. That makes them poster children for having no principle and playing vote trading games to fool you. And for whatever reason the terms “vote trading” and "Jim Smith" are the most commonly heard in the same sentence. IF WE LOSE THE DEATH PENALTY, THESE 4, MORE THAN ANY OTHER SENATORS, WILL HAVE BEEN THE ONES TO TAKE IT FROM US!

    And several Republicans who openly supported Ernie are up for re-election next year - Davis, Seiler, Hilkemann, and Johnson (Johnson and Hilkeman indicated they would support the death penalty, then flipped at the last minute). If you’re one of their constituents they should catch some heat on this vote - and a stern warning about any vote to override the governor’s promised veto.

    Here’s a link for more detail. http://nebraskavoice.net/dada_mail_support_files/file_uploads/files/268%20and%20610%20votes.pdf

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  5. I'm opposed to the death penalty for 2 important reasons: 1.) Too many wrongful convictions. Over 300 people have been given the death penalty and then proven innocent, in fact. It seens every day we read about someone being exonerated after serving long prison sentences. The US, by the way, is the remaining advanced country to still have the death penalty.
    2.) It's a greater punishment to serve life in prison rather than being humanely killed. Prison is not a fun place to be. Ask the inmates at Techumseh.
    So, no death penalty= no innocents put to death and the guilty get to have a miserable life in prison.

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    1. David is sooooooo right. I think all the death row inmates should be housed next to his home.

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    2. Your response is sooooooooooooo brilliant, forceful and intelligent..

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  6. I have always been in favor of the death penalty because I don't think these POS need to be wasting oxygen any longer, but, frankly, I am tired of the endless appeals that seem to drag on for decades. At this point I am ready to relegate these worthless pieces of crap to life in prison with no chance of parole. However, there are some conditions. No TV, no radio, no internet, no trips to the prison library, no outdoor exercise, no visitors, (just letters from family, none from strangers who get their kicks out of "falling in love" with incarcerated felons) no chance of getting out of their cell for any reason. Just them, in their cell, with plenty of time to be miserable for the rest of their sorry lives. That might be worse than death. Alright by me.

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  7. Can we strap the members of the ACLU in the gurney too?

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  8. I am for the death penalty! Laura Ebke will not receive my vote again and I think the decision should have been left to voting individuals of this great state not the legislative body. We will now be paying 6 cents per gallon more for gasoline and we no longer have a death penalty........President Obama just did another one of his executive orders.....where am I living????? The United States of America, Land of the Free and in Nebraska yet......

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  9. I vote for conservatives not those who think the way to ease prison crowding is to water down the rule of law

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  10. you guys at the times endorsed ebke if i recall. not that p. hardenberger woulda been any better but he wouldnt have voted to repeal the death penalty

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