Tuesday, February 28, 2012

No monolithic view

MVFHR is mentioned in this article about the death penalty published in The Hennepin (Minnesota) Lawyer by Rosalyn Park and Robin Phillips of the Advocates for Human Rights. Here's that excerpt; the link will take you to the full article:

People in favor of the death penalty often cite the victims’ wishes for capital punishment, but many victims’ families have spoken out against the death penalty. For example, Murder Victims Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) seeks to end the death penalty rather than perpetuate the cycle of violence. MVFHR sees the death penalty as a human rights violation, not just a criminal sanction. Their position is that the “response to one human rights violation should not be another human rights violation.”

While there is no monolithic victim’s view of the death penalty, organizations such as MVFHR show that it is possible to support victims and oppose the death penalty at the same time. It does not take another killing to promote healing and justice for victims’ families; rather, organizations like MVFHR work to ensure that victims’ stories, voices, and needs are included in the penalty phase of murder trials.


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