Stop the killing.PHILADELPHIA--As support for the death penalty continues to decline, a new campaign calling for a moratorium A suspension of activity or an authorized period of delay or waiting. A moratorium is sometimes agreed upon by the interested parties, or it may be authorized or imposed by operation of law. on executions is hoping to collect 1 million U.S. signatures on a petition to be presented to the United Nations on Human Rights Day, December December: see month. 10. Already 100,000 people have signed on to Moratorium 2000's international campaign, which is being coordinated in the U.S. by the Religious Organizing Against the Death Penalty Project and chaired by Sister Helen Prejean Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ (b. April 21, 1939, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a Roman Catholic nun, one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. , C.S.J., author of Dead Man Walking. "In a protracted pro·tract tr.v. pro·tract·ed, pro·tract·ing, pro·tracts 1. To draw out or lengthen in time; prolong: disputants who needlessly protracted the negotiations. 2. war, the first step toward peace is a cease-fire," Prejean says in a letter on the project's Web site. "Peace always comes in steps, and the first step is to cease and desist Cease and desist (also called C & D) is a legal term used primarily in the United States which essentially means "to halt" or "to end" an action ("cease") and to refrain from doing it again in the future ("desist"). from killing." Although the U.S. delegation to the U.N. has been less than supportive of a worldwide moratorium, organizers hope the 1 million American signatures will persuade the U.N. to act. The organization will also be lobbying state governments to enact moratoriums. Petition forms can be obtained from Moratorium 2000 by calling 504-864-1071 or visiting www.moratorium2000.org. |
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