Maryland Considers Abolishing the Death Penalty

I came across some good news today: the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment has recommended that the state abolish the death penalty. They cite the "real possibility" of executing an innocent person and the huge costs associated with death penalty cases going through the court system. Hopefully they make the right choice!

Read more from the Washington Post or the ACLU blog.

ACTION!

Sure, talking about issues is good--we have to get educated, right? However, to slip into a classic BYU cliche, we enter to learn but then go forth to serve. So after you leave the weekly BYU Amnesty meeting, what are you doing to promote human rights? Hopefully, a lot. Here's a few ideas to help ya out. More will be added, and we invite your ideas in the comments section too, so check back often!

• Join and/or donate to Amnesty International. They also have a section of their website called Ways You Can Help that has some great ways to be involved in some international human rights issues.
  
• America's a democracy, so act like it! Write or call your senator or congressperson and ask what they're doing to promote equality and fairness for all Americans, and for all humans for that matter!
  
• Be a Pen Pal with a Death Row Inmate - If you'd like to learn more about what it's like to be on death row, why not write to someone who's there? The Jail Outreach organization can get you in touch with an inmate who you can write to. If you're interested, email Austin at biggins2 at gmail dot com with "Death Row Penpal" in the subject line and we'll get you set up.
  
• Get a free bumper sticker that lets everyone know you're a Constitution voter. When people ask what that means, you can let them know about your beliefs in equal rights and human dignity; you know, the things our Constitution is supposed to protect.
  
• Sign a petition to close down Guantanamo, the site of some of America's most egregious human rights abuses.
  
• Letter to the editor - write in to your local paper. If you're a student at BYU, write to the Daily Universe at letters@byu.edu and let them know what you think about the human rights issue that you're most passionate about!
  
• Talk to all of your friends and family about human rights issues and help them get educated about all the ways they can help too!
  
• Save Darfur! - Check out the list of current initiatives that you can get involved in to help stop a genocide.
  
• Keep your eyes open for events happening right here in Provo/Orem. For example, did you know UVU has an annual symposium discussing the death penalty? Or that BYU's rallies in support of the monks involved in last year's Saffron Revolution in Burma were some of the biggest on any college campus in America? We're not quite as out of the loop here as you might think!
  

Again, we'd love to hear your ideas, either here on the blog or at our weekly meetings (Wednesdays at 6:00 in 117 Kennedy Center).

Capital Punishment in America

Did you know: If you kill a white person, you're much more likely to be sentenced to death than if you kill a minority? In the last 30 years, 130 people have been cleared of wrongdoing while awaiting execution? That the United States executed more of its citizens in 2007 than every other country in the world except China, Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia? These are just a few of the facts we learned tonight at an eye-opening presentation and discussion on the topic of the Death Penalty as currently practiced in America.

We'll be including Brent's awesome slides that give some more info about capital punishment in the US as soon as we get them made available, but first, here's some stuff you can do to personally get involved and make a difference:

• Troy Davis - Sentenced to death in Georgia for a crime he says he didn't commit. Convicted on very questionable evidence. 2 hours before he was to be put to death last Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution and is considering hearing his case. If not, he will likely be executed Monday. Hear his own words, sign Amnesty International's petition, and read more about the situation and other things you can do to help.
  
• Be a Pen Pal with a Death Row Inmate - If you'd like to learn more about what it's like to be on death row, why not write to someone who's there? The Jail Outreach organization can get you in touch with an inmate who you can write to. If you're interested, email me at biggins2 at gmail dot com with "Death Row Penpal" in the subject line and we'll get you set up.
  
• Attend the Fourth annual Symposium on Restorative Justice, Punishment, and the Death Penalty at UVU next Thursday, October 2nd. It's an all-day symposium, so you can take part in discussions and presentations throughout the day, but BYU Amnesty will be carpooling over for the keynote speaker, William Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland. We'll be meeting at 6 oclock at BYU, stay tuned for details.
  
• Letter to the editor - write in to your local paper. Write to the Daily Universe at letters@byu.edu and let them know what you think about Troy Davis, the death penalty, and/or the American justice system.
  

It was a great discussion, thanks to everyone who came, and we hope to see even more of you next week! And, as always, we welcome your thoughts and questions via the comments box below.