History of Rape at Air Force Academy
Remember this name...remember Rias BHuiyan...if ever there is an end to racism..this guy did it in 21st century.
Rais Bhuiyan, Post-9/11 Shooting Victim, Sues to Save Attacker From Death
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:03 pm
 |
More links from around the web!
10 comments
To: The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles andTexas Governor Rick Perry
Re: Commutation considerations, Texas death row inmate Mark Stroman
Subject: A Matter of Forgiveness
From: Dudley Sharp, 713-622-5491
Rais Bhuiyan is campaigning to have Texas death row inmate Mark Stroman's death sentence commuted. Mark Stroman attempted to murder Mr. Bhuiyan.
None of Mr. Bhuiyan's efforts, inclusive of his baseless lawsuit against Gov. Perry and the Parole Board, should result in Stroman's commutation.
The real goal is to publicize another anti death penalty effort, which will have little effect on the discussion.
Some points:
Has Mr. Bhuiyan avoided the obvious?
Has anyone (the media or Bhuiyan?) confirmed any of Stroman's claims, that his parents treated him in a horrible way or that his half sister was murdered on 9/11 in the World Trade Center attack?
False claims by death row murderers and their supporters are quite common. Let's try to fact check the claims. The claims, if true, offer no excuse for Stroman's crimes.
The greatest violator of vicitm's rights in this case is Stroman.
The only one exhibiting hate in this case is Stroman. His hatred resulted in him murdering two innocent people and the attempted murder of Mr. Bhuiyan, based upon his hatred of Muslims, a hatred allegedly hightened by the 9/11 attacks.
Mr. Bhuiyan has forgiven Stroman for that attempted murder.
Such forgiveness is important.
For clear reasons, both Gov. Perry and the parole board should reject Mr. Bhuiyan's petition to commute Stroman's death sentence to a life sentence.
Considering Mr. Bhuiyan's position, the commutation request should be rejected, because the foundation for Stroman's death sentence is justice, not hatred.
Mr. Bhuiyan has, simply, invented that the death sentence was based in hatred, just as many other anti death penalty activists do. Therefore, there is not foundation for the commutation request, as it is wrongly based upon false allegation of hatred. (1)
Mr. Bhuiyan's believes that his forgiveness should provide enough to commute Stroman's sentence to life.
First, Stroman is not on death row for the attempted murder of Buiyan, but for the capital murder of Vasudev Patel.
In addition:
1) Mr. Bhuiyan has the moral authority to forgive Stroman for the attempted murder. Mr. Bhuiyan does not have the moral authority to forgive for crimes committed against others.
2) Anyone can forgive someone for the crimes committed against themselves and still find that a proper sanction, justice, is appropriate in that case.
3) Importantly, forgiveness cannot preclude punishment. In fact, punishment can be an important part of forgiveness.
Both parties, the victim and the perpetrator, can give and seek forgiveness, respectively, and both can understand that a proper sanction should be a part of the forgiveness process. The criminal should take responsibility for their crimes, confess to them, accept the sanction given and seek forgiveness based upon true sorrow and repentance.
Hopefully, that is what Stroman will do.
4) The only one who can forgive the perpetrator for the crime is the victim of that crime. Stroman's two murder victims cannot offer their forgiveness. They're dead. Mr. Bhuiyan asserts that the families of Stroman's two murder victims back his efforts and also forgive Stroman. Has that been confirmed and do all family members agree?
As Mr. Bhuiyan's commutation efforts are solely founded on the wrongful charge of hatred and his erroneous understanding of forgiveness, both offer no foundation for commutation.
As time goes by, it is clear that Mr. Bhuiyan's crusade is, strictly, an anti death penalty effort.
Mr. Bhuiyan's is not trying to end all sanctions against Stroman, but is making a plea to commute Stroman's death sentence to a life sentence - meaning that Mr. Bhuiyan does understand that sanction and forgiveness have no conflict and that hatred need have no connection to sanction, as is evident in this case and realized by Mr. Bhuiyan.
The death penalty is given by juries for the same reason lesser sanctions are, that is that they are a just, appropriate and proportional sanction for the crime committed. (2)
There are, more solid reasons to deny commutation in this case, but I was only addressing Mr. Bhuiyan's effort.
Stroman's crimes
Stroman, a white supremist, additionally, confessed to the Sept. 15, 2001 Dallas murder of Wagar Hasan, an immigrant and Pakistani Muslim. The two murders and the attempted murder were all hate crimes, committed from September 15, 2001 to October 4, 2001, based upon Stroman seeking revenge against Muslims for the 9/11 attacks.
Stroman, previously, served a two year sentence for one count of burglary of a building and one count of theft of property; released on parole in absentia; returned from parole in absentia with an 8 year sentence from Dallas County for two counts of credit card abuse and one count of robbery; released on parole on 08/26/1991.
Thank you for your consideration. With these cases, there are very weighty issues to reflect upon.
1) "The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge"http://homicidesurvivors.com/2...
2) "Death Penalty Support: Christian and secular Scholars"http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/...
NOTE Any violation of vicitm's rights should be condemned, with a pursuit of remedy, inclusive of legal action, if merited.
The fool that did this to him, and yes such actions while horrible were very rare after 9/11, isn't just a crime against the victim.
It's a crime against society, against the United States itself. It goes against the very elements of the Constitution that provides protection against such crimes. While I do not agree with the legality of "Hate Crimes," I see them as sloppy law as it relates to intent, Society has to punish crime to the fullest extent in the interest of society, not just vengance per se for the victim.
I agree on that, shouldn't be up to the victim to dictate the legal outcome. All violent crimes like this are against society, ultimately, and a murderous criminal has the potential to hurt more people if not jailed.Our justice system isn't perfect it's flawed and corrupt. But it's a work in progress, it does serve justice to a lot of people, regardless of the injustice it serves others.Wouldn't want to go back to the old west, where innocent men/husbands/fathers were commonly hung by their necks based on hearsay and accusations, without proof. Law was established in line with the constitution to stop that inhumane behavior, and what we have now is still a lot better than what we had a 100 years ago.Still like this Rais Bhuiyan guy, for standing on his own definition of integrity and trying to do the right thing according to his own conscience, heart's in the right place, but the shooter is still dangerous in my opinion and wouldn't be safe among us.
Don't find people like this guy too often, willing to forgive under such extreme circumstances, in real life.Usually only in book or movie form ala Bishop Myriel and Jean Valjean with the candlesticks in Les Miserables, or the ultimate show of mercy when Inspector Javert took the leap.His forgiveness doesn't mean the offender will change, but never know.
The perpetrator is probably resolved and at peace with the idea of being executed. Consider how horrific it'd be for him if his sentence is commuted to incarceration for life without any possibility of parole. While I admire the victim's spiritual depth on the issue, consider how his kindness will really affect the criminal.
