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�La battaglia per l�abolizione (della pena
capitale) va molto oltre la stessa pena di morte. Non si pu� pensare a
migliorare la societ�, finch� credi che certe persone debbano essere
sterminate.� Ha detto Halperin.
North Texas
Daily
University of North
Texas - Feb. 21
Speaker denounces death penalty
Dr. Rick Halperin, president of the Texas Coalition to
Abolish the Death Penalty, spoke to College Democrats about his anti-death
penalty stance and the lack of human rights education in the United States.
"This struggle is much bigger than just the death
penalty," Halperin said Wednesday night to about 20 people.
"This is a struggle to end the idea in this
country that there is such a thing as a lesser person. You can't have a
better society when you believe that certain people need to be exterminated."
Halperin, who is with Amnesty International, said the
typical reasons to end the death penalty, such as expense, error-laden
processes, and race issues are valid.
However, he said it was most important to end the
death penalty to shift the paradigm of American thought.
"We don't recognize that human rights begins at
home," Halperin said.
"This country is in human rights denial."
Jace Reeder, political director for the College
Democrats, said Halperin was honest with the facts.
"He's a thinker kind of speaker," said
Reeder, Fort Worth senior.
"Even if you are in favor of the death penalty,
he may not change your mind, but he'd at least make you think."
Halperin spoke about methods and history of execution
and provided statistics on the number of people who have been and are on
death row.
He also said until people in the United States learn
more about human rights, it cannot advance as a nation.
"I think the route is in education," said
Martin Wallace, NT alumnus who works at Willis Library.
"An educated society could change the system. But
our leaders rely on the status quo to maintain their power, so they don't
emphasize education."
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