The Fort Worth Star-Telegram features a new piece by regular columnist Bob Ray Sanders entitled “Time to End the Death Penalty in Texas” (April 10, 2012). In his column, Sanders cites the recent DNA exonerations in Dallas County and legislative progress towards repealing the death penalty other states as two (among many) reasons to do away with the death penalty in Texas. He also notes progress on this issue in Texas, including the decline in executions and new death sentences and a decreasing death row population. Sanders writes that “those are all good signs, but not good enough.” He goes on to say:
Many people acknowledge that we have a flawed justice system, and that’s understandable with any structure that depends on human judgment and actions.
But it is because of the fallibility of humans that we mortals should not be charged with deciding to take a life — the one thing we can never give back in case of a mistake — in the name of the state.
The progress toward abolishment of the death penalty has been steady, but slow. It’s now time to pick up the momentum.
I’m ready to see the movement gather steam, wage an all-out legal assault and awareness campaign to change these barbaric laws one state legislature at a time.
We are a nation that should be better than this. Let’s vow to end capital punishment in this country, now and forever.