Item Information
Title
5 May 1973: Letter from Linda F. O'Bryant, Reidsville, N.C., to Senator Sam Ervin Jr.
Description
After the Furman decision, while executions were halted nationwide, constituents and others contacted Senator Ervin with their opinions about capital punishment. Ms. O'Bryant, a college student, argues that "capital punishment does not seem to be the answer to our crime rate," and that a murderer "needs help and at the same time society needs protection." Ervin responded that he believed that capital punishment should be retained as a deterrent and that, to this end, he supported Senate Bill S.1401.
Source
Sam Ervin Jr. Papers, #3847, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Date
May 5, 1973