KENTUCKY
COALITION to
ABOLISH the
DEATH
PENALTY
P.O. Box 3092 * Louisville, KY 40201-3092 * 502.636.1330 © staff@kcadp.org * www.kcadp.org
Dear Friend(s),
On December 10 your Coalition will celebrate its 24" birthday. To celebrate we will deliver hundreds of
postcards to Governor Beshear asking him to refuse to sign new death warrants. Because your voice is
so important to this movement we hope you mailed him the postcard included in a recent newsletter.
As we begin our 25" year we have much to celebrate, but more hard work ahead of us.
WE CELEBRATE that many of you have already contributed generously to the work of abolition. Thank
you. Thank you. Thank you. Without your help KCADP could not function.
An envelope is enclosed for your use. We are not bashful in asking those who have not yet contributed to
make a very generous donation at this time. And, for those who have been generous, if you can, please
send an additional gift, perhaps in honor of a loved one, or as a gift in someone’s name.
WE CELEBRATE the effect the American Bar Association report of the Kentucky Assessment Team has
had on opening the eyes of many who see that the death penalty they support doesn’t really exist in
Kentucky. In fact the system we have is like the car that is a lemon; you can pour all the money you want
to into repairing it and it is still a lemon. Best to junk it and get a new car. We call that life without parole.
Our system is so flawed the only effective repair is repeal.
WE CELEBRATE the voice raised in October 2012 by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. This
state agency unanimously adopted a resolution calling for repeal of the death penalty.
WE CELEBRATE that one week later, the New York Times, in an editorial titled Kentucky's Egregious
Death Penalty, cited both the ABA Kentucky Assessment Team report and the Kentucky Commission on
Human Rights resolution in calling for repeal.
WE CELEBRATE that 5 states in the past 5 years have “junked their lemons” and now punish with life
without parole. And, that Californians almost abolished it in the recent election; and that Maryland,
Montana, and other states are within a few votes of doing so.
As WE CELEBRATE, we also push on to achieve in Kentucky what others have already achieved. With
strong partners like you and the Kentucky Council of Churches, the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, the
ACLU of Kentucky, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and many others, KCADP believes Kentucky will
be the first southern state to abolish the death penalty.
When you raise your voice in contacting legislators or your Commonwealth Attorney, or Governor
Beshear, when you contribute financially, when you speak to a friend or neighbor or member of your faith
community, when you write a letter to an editor, or post an abolition message on Facebook — when you
do any of these things you bring us closer to junking our lemon and replacing it with a just and fair system
that severely punishes the heinous killer, keeps Kentuckians safe, and allows for the correction of the
inevitable mistake when an innocent person is imprisoned.
So, please, CELEBRATE, and use the enclosed envelope to send us a Happy Birthday gift. Have a great
season of thanksgiving and holiday cheer.
Sincerely,
Catal A
Rev. Patrick Delahanty
Chair
Don’t Kill For Us
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