Several left-leaning organizations and hundreds of Democrat-aligned groups are urging President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of all federal death row inmates as part of his commitment to abolish the death penalty.
The Daily Caller reported that a leftist coalition has petitioned President Biden to abolish the federal death penalty and commute existing sentences, citing racial injustice and the human cost of capital punishment.
This push amplified recently with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund coming forward with a petition.
Their demands extend beyond commutation; they wish to see an end to pending and future federal death penalty cases entirely.
The notion of halting the federal death penalty was a staple of Biden's presidential campaign. His promises had catalyzed optimism among various human rights groups that have long criticized the death penalty's moral and racial disparities.
As the President nears the end of his term, the groups' call for action has intensified, combining their voices in a singular, robust plea for systemic change. They propose tearing down the federal execution chamber and rescinding associated legal guidelines.
These organizations are joined by faith-based groups like the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests in their plea, highlighting how this issue crosses various societal and religious demographics.
Fueling the current debate are the high-profile cases of inmates such as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Dylann Roof, who are both on federal death row for mass killings. Tsarnaev's ongoing appeals and the public discourse surrounding them underscore the complex, heated emotions involved in capital punishment cases.
The Supreme Court upheld Tsarnaev's sentence in 2022 after several legal twists, including an initial overturn by a federal appeals court.
This decision rekindled discussions on the federal death penalty's application and its implications for justice and equity.
Dylann Roof's sentencing for the racially motivated Charleston church shooting further complicates the racial discussion around federal executions, with opponents highlighting the disproportionate representation of people of color on death row.
Amid these discussions, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has emphasized the racial disparities inherent in current death row demographics. Its petition stresses that over half of the inmates currently awaiting federal execution are people of color, suggesting systemic bias.
"Now, in 2024, with over half of the federal death row comprising people of color, you have the chance to prevent irreversible miscarriages of justice and build a legacy rooted in racial justice and compassion," the ACLU's petition reads.
This assertion of racial injustice aligns with broader societal movements advocating for racial equality and correctional justice reforms, especially relevant in today's charged political climate.
Gaining every bit as much attention is the vociferous pushback from conservative sectors, including former President Donald Trump, who has frequently expressed support for expanding the death penalty's scope.
Critics like Charles Fain Lehman argue that mass clemency for death row inmates would be an ill-timed and inappropriate exercise of Biden's executive power. "Joe Biden had four years to enact a mass executive clemency. He did not do it. To do it on his way out would be preposterous," Lehman states.
Moreover, victims' families remain divided on the issue. People like Rev. Sharon Risher, who lost relatives in the Charleston church shooting, express that capital punishment does not aid in their healing process. "Killing Roof, who took the life of my mother, cousins, and friend, would do nothing to help me heal," she commented to Newsweek.
As Biden's presidency potentially nears its conclusion, these calls for halting federal executions may represent one of his last major decisions in office. The entrenched political, moral, and racial aspects of the death penalty remain controversial and divisive.
The combined pressure from religious, human rights, and legal organizations highlights the growing movement against the death penalty, seeking a transformative change in American justice as integral to Biden’s legacy.
Whether the president will act on these calls remains uncertain amidst the country's complex and evolving discourse on justice, race, and human rights.