We are deeply disturbed by violent crime and grieved by the suffering of its victims. Destruction of human life is one of the gravest violations of our social and moral order. It rightly arouses indignation, and justice requires that those who commit murder be held strictly accountable for their actions. But the legitimate demands of justice can be satisfied without resorting to execution. The deliberate, planned, intentional taking of life by the state brutalizes and diminishes society.
Execution declares certain human beings worthless, unfit even to live.
That sentiment has no place in civilized communities. Violence is simply not the answer to the problem of violence. This is an important moment in the history of our state. Pennsylvania has the fourth largest death row in the country. Our elected officials have enacted and carried out laws to hasten the execution process.