"Live free or die" is the motto of the "State of Granite", the first American colony to secede from England and one of the 13 states that founded the United States of America. Today, 30th May 2019, following a long-lasting battle, the New Hampshire Senate approved the abolition of the Death Penalty with an overwhelming majority, 16 to 8. The current Governor's veto of 3rd May has been permanently canceled. There had been other attempts to abolish the death penalty in New Hampshire: once a Governor canceled the vote of the State Parliament, and in 2014 the abolition had not passed because the final vote had been in a tie.
Indeed, it is a great response to Pope Francis’ appeal to the American Congress for the overcoming of the Death Penalty, in the direction traced by the definitive formulation of the catechism of the Catholic Church (n.2267) defining the death penalty always "inadmissible". This historical event, which saw republicans and democrats united, came to fulfillment thanks to the tireless work of Democratic Deputy Renny Cushing, among the founders of the Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights Movement, which unites relatives of the victims of capital punishment.
Sant Egidio welcomes the political courage of New Hampshire legislators and will celebrate this event together with the city of Rome by extraordinary lighting up the Colosseum.
