It's interesting how many issues intersect with our abolition work. This action item has been sent out from the NCADP in Washington, D.C. and I thought that I would pass it along to our blog reading activists!


Dear Friends:

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), of which NCADP is a member organization, is planning an unprecedented effort to encourage the Congress to grant voting rights to the District of Columbia, and NCADP has been asked to take part in the grassroots and legislative outreach components. On April 16th, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, along with DC Vote, numerous coalition partners, and the Office of the Mayor, will host what they hope to be the largest demonstration for D.C. voting rights in history.

Our support for this effort is based on the fact that we have an interest in assuring that the people of the District of Columbia, who have overwhelmingly demonstrated their opposition to capital punishment, have a vote on this issue in the House of Representatives. Some of you will remember that in 1994, NCADP and other organizations led a successful effort to defeat a referendum to reinstate the death penalty in D.C.. That referendum had been mandated by a law passed by Congress to place the measure on the D.C. ballot.
There are two ways you can make your voice heard for voting rights and LCCR has laid out both options, just click the links below:
If you live in the District or will be near the District on Monday, April 16, please click here:
http://civilrightscoalition.org/campaign/votingrightsmarch

If you live outside the District, please click here:
http://civilrightscoalition.org/campaign/passthedcvra

It is not often that we will call on people to help in an effort that is not directly death penalty related, but this is such a watershed issue and the anti-death penalty heritage of the DC citizens makes this effort extraordinarily important.

Thank you again for your support...