Opposition to death penalty mounts in U.S. (United States).

San Francisco--Death-penalty opponents who gathered for a four-day conference were cheered by evidence of a new trend: declining popularity for capital punishment.

Whereas 80% of the U.S. public supported the death penalty five years ago, that figure has dropped to about 66%, conferees were told at the Cathedral Hill Congress. In cases involving first-time offenders, the figure supporting capital punishment falls to 48%.

The San Francisco meeting generated new enthusiasm. Among the organizations represented were Death Penalty Focus, National Coalition for Abolition, American Friends Service Committee, and the Community of Sant' Egidio.

The last community, a Catholic movement born in Rome (http:// www.santegidio.org), has enlisted 132 countries in a campaign for a moratorium on the death penalty. It also has collected more than 2.5 million signatures among citizens in support of this petition. The signatures were given to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on December 18.

John Paul II has supported the proposal to proclaim a moratorium on the death penalty throughout the world on several occasions. The Church's opposition to capital punishment, unlike her condemnation of abortion which is intrinsically evil, is prudential. Most European countries and Canada which have halted capital punishment no longer see the dealth penalty as an effective deterrent to crime; also it is liable to cause mistaken executions and in many countries allows political executions under the guise of fighting crime or rebellion.

The political climate in the USA began to change in January 2000, when Illinois Governor George Ryan, a Republican, declared a moratorium in his state because of the huge number of prisoners who had been on death row for years or who had been released as innocent. Six states have started to review their systems of punishment and four others are debating a moratorium similar to the one adopted in Illinois.

(With files from Zenit)

Dear George,

Now, did he punch right through that pad?

He knew he thought he really had.

And since he saw there was no cure Short of the court

He pled his case before the judge

And hoped she'd let him fake and fudge

Recount as often as required

To say "we won."

It worked in Boston days of yore;

Right then he hoped it worked for Gore.

So Mr. Bush, you'd not be sad

If only, only, you had had

Some more respect for that mere tad

Of paper littered on the floor.

Too bad you feel that you've been had.

Yours,

Hanging, crumpled, trampled, fumbled, harried, humbled, dimpled Chad.

By a former radiologist turned versifier.