The recent override of Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto on the death penalty repeal is extremely discouraging. By ignoring the voices of their constituents, our elected New Hampshire legislators are not only putting the lives of our brave police officers at risk, they are putting every citizen in New Hampshire at a higher risk to experience gun-related violence.

Without the death penalty in place, there is less deterrent in place for organized crime operations, as due to the repeal of the death penalty, perpetrators of crimes deserving of the death penalty will at most face a lifetime in jail – a sentence that is of no consequence to some of these people, especially those who are mentally unwell.

Our elected officials are not only failing to protect law enforcement and other public servants, they also are directly insulting the thoughtful citizens of New Hampshire. In the system that was in place before the override of the governor’s veto, in order for any person to be sentenced to death, the entire jury had to decide that the death penalty was a fair and just punishment for the crime committed.

Thus, by supporting an override of Gov. Sununu’s veto, our lawmakers are not only demeaning the people of New Hampshire, they are failing to place their trust in us as we have in them. It is completely asinine to believe that any juror in New Hampshire would not responsibly use the power given to them.

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