http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/
Barack Obama not only disbelieves in the death penalty, but because of his change in policy in Illinois, he has saved 13 lives from the death penalty. His accomplishments in restructuring the laws in the state of Illinois can be considered one of his biggest thus far. Since he is against the death penalty he made it mandatory that in capital crimes they must be recorded. While most of the people involved, especially the police didn’t want to record each capital crime, they were overruled by the unanimous vote by the senate, and the rule was put in place.
In the article, republican George Ryan was commended for halting all the executions and giving most of the people on death row life in prison. Becasuse of his actions, he created a controversy because the victims’ families were upset, and felt that this was not the correct punishment for what had happened to loved ones. Although most people on death row were supposed to be there, there are some who are innocent, and not given a chance to prove otherwise. Obama is helping those who deserve a second chance because the law had not worked correctly, and they ended up with the short straw.
Obama does not believe in the death penalty, and neither do I. I commend him on the persistence he had when changing the laws, and giving innocent people another chance at life.