April 18
TEXAS:
Capital punishment debated: SMU scholars speak out against practice as
milestone execution nears
As the state of Texas nears its 500th execution, professors at Southern
Methodist University weighed in on the death penalty in a series of discussions
this week focusing on the legal, moral and economic impacts of capital
punishment.
Last September, a federal appeals court rejected Douglas Feldman's appeal to be
taken off death row. Feldman, a 54-year-old man from Richardson, was convicted
of killing 2 truck drivers in 1998. His execution date is scheduled for July
31.
Nearly 40 % of all U.S. executions have occurred in Texas since capital
punishment resumed here in 1982, a proportion many people should call into
question, professors of SMU's Embrey Human Rights Program argued.
SMU officials stated the university does not take social or political stances
but encourages its faculty to speak on public issues.
The free, public multidisciplinary symposium titled, "Death by Numbers: What
Moral, Legal and Economic Price Are We Paying to Maintain the Death Penalty?"
began Monday with a panel discussion among Dedman School of Law faculty
members. The event concluded Thursday when professors from the Dedman College
of Humanities and Sciences looked at the literary, societal and economic
impacts of the death penalty.
Professors from the Perkins School of Theology focused on religious
perspectives on Wednesday, arguing why capital punishment is more about revenge
than "restorative justice," and how Christian convictions are above the death
penalty.
Opposition to capital punishment does not necessarily mean not being tough on
crime, said Joerg Rieger, professor of constructive theology.
"There is this hope that God's power, God's justice can actually make a
difference in people's lives to such a degree that they're ultimately not
abandoned and given up, but they are restored to the community in such a way
that the community is made whole again," he said. "Being tough on crime may
have much more constructive forms if we think about Jewish and Christian
traditions ... and what it means to restore justice and end crime."
Given modern prison technology, it is possible to take dangerous people of out
society and keep them there, which should be the preferred option, said
Theodore Walker Jr., associate professor of ethics and society.
While proponents of the death penalty may argue that capital punishment is a
means for providing closure for victims and their families, that closure may
take as long as 20 years to achieve through the appeals process, which a long
time for victims to endure, Walker said.
"There is no evidence to indicate that capital punishment is a deterrent [for
criminals]," he said. "Closure could be realized much more quickly simply by
placing this person in prison without opportunity for parole. This protects us
from the tragedy of executing the wrong person, as sometimes happens."
In addition, poor people and people of color are more likely to be executed
than others, as those with less means more than likely cannot afford an
attorney, Walker added.
Another reason for Christian opposition to capital punishment is the fact that
execution requires an executioner, he said.
"We have a higher standard; as a Christian, I am prepared to say that grace
requires of me that I not be the executioner and that I not inflict that
tragedy upon others who also should not be executioners," Walker said.
Many people want revenge, not protection of society, said Joseph Allen,
professor emeritus of ethics.
"All people are children of God and should be treated as such, even when
they've committed the worst possible crimes," he said. "With beliefs like that,
it's very difficult to offer a good argument for the death penalty."
On May 7, the Embrey Human Rights Program will sponsor the "Lighting the Torch
of Conscience" demonstration, which is expected to be the largest anti-death
penalty event ever held in Dallas. The demonstration will also include a vigil
at 6 p.m. in front of the Dallas County Old Red Courthouse, 100 S. Houston St.,
where public lynchings once took place.
(source: Southern Methodist University Daily Campus)
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