Walk the Talk on the Death Penalty: a Forum Sponsored by the Temple's Social Justice Team

On Thursday, February 18, at 7:00 pm, the Social Justice Team at the Temple will be hosting a public virtual panel discussion on the death penalty considering the issue from four different perspectives. Participants will include the Rev. Stacy Rector, Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, federal public defender Kelley Henry, Rolanda Holman, sister of Tennessee death row prisoner Pervis Payne, and exoneree Sabrina Butler-Smith.

For many decades, both the Union for Reform Judaism and the UUA have taken strong stands opposing the death penalty. The Central Conference of American Rabbis resolved that “both in concept and in practice, Jewish tradition found capital punishment repugnant.” Beginning in 1966, the UUA has passed numerous general resolutions, statements of conscience, and actions of immediate witness against the death penalty over the years. 

A 2005 UUA statement of conscience says, “One of the most shameful aspects of our current criminal justice system is the death penalty…. Studies fail to demonstrate that the death penalty actually deters crime…. Experience shows that judges and juries wrongly convict defendants. Given the number of death row inmates released on account of innocence, it is highly likely that we have executed innocent people and will do so again in the future unless we abolish the death penalty.” This statement of conscience cites our first two Principles as guiding our work for a new corrections policy, including the abolition of the death penalty.  

The United States is the only Western country to still use the death penalty.

A flyer for the event can be found here. 

Information for joining the Zoom room:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83413545576  

Meeting ID: 834 1354 5576   Dial in (audio only): +1 312 626 6799