Political Quotes

“I think the Fields amendment is eminently sensible. At a time when many of our friends are saying, get the big, bad Federal Government off the backs of local communities, what the Fields amendment says to judges and juries all over America, if they understand what the circumstances are in the case and if they want to rule for the death penalty, OK, they can do that, but if they want to rule for life imprisonment, they also have that right. It is flexible, it is consistent with local control. In a more general sense, Mr. Chairman, I get a little bit nervous with the fervor that we hear here about the death penalty. I would point out to my friends that to the best of my knowledge, the United States of America remains the only major industrialized nation on Earth that allows for the death penalty in all circumstances other than war crimes and in treason. Our friends in Canada do not have the death penalty. Our friends south of us in Mexico do not have the death penalty. What the amendment of the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Fields] says is, give juries and give judges the option. I think it is a sensible proposal.”