Hyperaware

People all over the world know that Texas is the state in the country that has the most people die from capital punishment every year. Today, Humberto Leal García, Jr. is scheduled to die for the 1994 brutal (as if there is any other type) rape and murder of 16-year-old Adria Sauceda in Texas. The execution is more controversial that the state is used to because the person facing execution is a Mexican national.

Though Leal has lived in the United States since he was a toddler, he is still considered a Mexican citizen and, as such, he was entitled to talk to a representative from the Mexican consulate when he was arrested. Since he did not receive that chance, his attorney believes that Leal’s rights under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations were violated. He has tried to appeal to the Texas Governor for a stay, but it was denied.

If Leal is executed tonight, then it might endanger any American arrested and charged in another country. By denying him the chance to consult with someone representing his native Mexico, the state of Texas violated an international treaty that the United States entered to guarantee that people regardless of national origin are given the opportunity to a fair trial and do not have their rights violated. Though he was supposed to receive this seemingly unimportant visit, the police didn’t give it to him and now Governor Rick Perry is refusing to allow a stay. I’m sure that Governor Perry must not understand what the lack of a stay means for world politics and Americans abroad. If he does understand and is still refusing to give a stay, then that would make him exceedingly callous and unfit not only to be Governor in his state, but it would show that he should definitely not be allowed to be President of the United States. (Perry is believed to be a potential GOP candidate for the 2012 election.)

I am hoping that Perry denied it based on the fact that he, unfortunately, sees so many prisoners requesting for stays on their executions. In June, there were three. Though Leal is not a really sympathetic person, but it is wrong to execute him. Personally, I’m opposed to execution in general. This execution is even worse, since it is not only taking the life of someone who committed an awful crime, but putting the lives of so many people at risk.

Perry’s reckless disregard for the repercussions of his decision is saddening and sickening at the same time. Surely he must realize that this decision could put a target on the backs of Americans worldwide. Surely, someone who considers himself to be pro-life would not want to endanger so many lives based on some weird need that he feels to maintain his state’s sense of vengeance against murderers.

I’m sure that Perry would probably argue that his decision is based on states’ rights or something of the sort, which tends to be an argument used by right-wing politicians. The rights of a state only exist until the point that they put the country at risk or violate an already existing federal statute. Though states may have the right to execute prisoners, which is something that should probably examined at a later time, they do not have the right to make a decision that violates an international treaty and puts people at risk for being imprisoned or executed in another country without proper due process.

He might argue that his state has to execute vicious criminals the execution serves as a deterrent to others.  That isn’t actually true, though.  Executions have not been shown to serve as a deterrent.  Since the 1970′s, the number of executions have increased from 0 (during a moratorium) to 44 last year.  And last year’s number was not the norm, as some years have had around 60 people executed.  Police and criminal justice experts have actually stated that they don’t feel that execution reduce the number of crimes that happen.  There is actually evidence that shows that instead of being a deterrent to crime, executions may actually work the opposite way, causing the crime rate to increase.  Southern states, which perform the majority of executions in the country, have a higher average murder rate per 100,000.  Of course, this doesn’t deter pro-death penalty politicians or voters to change the laws.  Instead, they argue that the statistics must be wrong.

Since his state doesn’t really have a right or a reason to execute Leal, then hopefully the execution won’t occur.  If the execution happens and Americans end up being put in a higher level of danger, then I hope that voters remember that Perry did not have to make that kind of decision.  He could have changed his state’s reputation of having no respect for the lives of criminals and could have shown that there are people in this country who are willing to allow justice to people, even if the people committed an atrocious act.