More on a new death penalty culture

As detailed in this post last week, there are many signs that the American culture of the death penalty is in the midst of significant transformation.  Along with this week's defeat of Massachusetts Governor Romney's "foolproof" death penalty bill adds to this story, consider this additional evidence:

• In this interesting op-ed in The Hill, a political consultant explains how the politics of the death penalty has changed of late.  As he explains: "Both newspaper and proprietary public opinion polls in recent years have shown that voters do not consider capital punishment a reason to vote for or against a candidate.  If anything, opposing capital punishment helps pick up votes among the most partisan."

• This news release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops highlights that the organization has reiterated its opposition to the death penalty and its call for all Catholics "to defend all human life and unite together to be 'people of life for life.'"  The USCCB has this on-going Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty and has recently released this potent report entitled "A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death."