An American murderer on death row called on the Irish...

An American murderer on death row called on the Irish people to abolish the death penalty in the June 7 referendum. Roger Collins, 42, was sentenced to death as an 18-year-old in Georgia for the murder of a young girl.In an open letter to the Irish people, Collins appealed to voters to abolish the death penalty forever from the Irish constitution.He said: "I am writing to express gratitude concerning your vote to remove the status and all references to the death penalty. As I made my personal transition into adulthood I came to terms with a certain reality - that it takes weakness to kill, not strength."I hope you realise that your vote to choose life over death sends out very strong messages and a testimony to the standards we should all live by."