Is the Death Penalty Dying?

By Emily Sims

Blurb: Advocates against the death penalty gather at the ACS and Human Rights Law

Association event

In the Walsh classroom on the bottom floor of the Underwood Law Library, Rais Bhuiyan

greeted the audience by saying “as-Salamu alaikum”, the traditional greeting of Islam

that means “peace and blessings to you”. It was the very fact that Bhuiyan was Muslim

that resulted in him being shot not too long after 9/11. However Bhuiyan was not there

to talk about hate crimes, he was there to speak out against the death pentalty.

The ACS and the Human Rights Law Association hosted its second annual event

advocating against the death penalty Feb. 27, 2013. This year they asked the question,

“Is the death penalty dying?” For Bhuiyan and the two other speakers, SMU associate

professor of law Victoria Palacios and SMU history professor and director of the Embrey

Human Rights Program Rick Halperin, the answer is a resounding yes.

“Whatever you think about this issue, as sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow,

the process of ending the death penalty has begun whether you like it or not,” said

Halperin.

Palacios was eager to discuss the progress being made towards abolishing the death

penalty noting that changes are being made in court decisions, from legislatures, and

through political discourse. She cited three different cases where the assumed

punishment would have been the death penalty but courts decided against it.

Although she was pleased with victories like courts ruling that the sentencing of a

retarded person to death is unconstitutional or acknowledging the existence of 

developmental differences between an adult and a minor, Palacios says there is still “so

much more to be done.”

The advocate’s main goal is to educate people about the reasons why they find the

death penalty an unnecessary punishment. Halperin compared abolishing the death

penalty to abolishing slavery or giving women the right to vote. Claiming that one day

we will look back on capital punishment in disbelief that we tolerated it in America.

“The immediate end of the death penalty is not at hand but it is coming in your life

time,” said Halperin.

For Bhuiyan, he hopes the end is near. The death penalty is something very personal for

Bhuiyan who fought to stop the execution of the man who shot and was there at his

execution.

 

“Even though he tried to end my life,” said Bhuiyan, “I tried to save his.” 

Bhuiyan, a humanitarian, travels all over the world to educate people on peace and

forgiveness. He believes everyone deserves second chances for the mistakes they make

but the death penalty eliminates that possibility.

“More and more families of victims are coming forward against this cruel and inhuman

punishment,” said Bhuiyan.

Although all the speakers agree that it will be a long fight to finally abolish the death

penalty, they are optimistic that the end will soon come.

“With zombie-like persistence, it keeps coming back,” said Palacios. “Let’s put it to rest.”