22nd Dec 2008
Birmingham News
Letters, faxes, and e-mail
Monday, December 15, 2008
Let MLK’s voice be heard:
I find it ironic that the upcoming round of executions in Alabama is scheduled to begin on the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. James Harvey Callahan is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 15.
In the foreground is the voice of Attorney General Troy King calling for retribution. According to him, the death of the convicted is the only way the victim’s families can receive justice and find healing.
Alabama declares that in order to heal the victim’s pain, the ultimate pain of death must be inflicted on the convicted. Through this approach, the death of the one heals the pain of the other; somehow pain compounded by yet more pain brings healing.
In the background (especially on Jan. 15) is the Rev. King’s voice, calling for reconciliation. According to him (and to every major spiritual teacher in all traditions), the way of justice and healing is found through reconciliation.
The Rev. King declared over and over again that healing comes from love, forgiveness and reconciliation. Through this approach, we must stop inflicting pain on one another once and for all; the cessation of pain brings healing.
As we head into the upcoming season of execution, I suggest it is time to allow the Rev. King’s voice to be heard above the voice of Attorney General King.
The Rev. Tom Duley
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8th Dec 2008
Execution is revenge, not closure
Sunday, December 07, 2008
By REV. DAVID J. TOKARZ
Special to the Press-Register
The recent scheduling of five executions by the Alabama Supreme Court (with input from the attorney general) leads me to ask you to engage in a brief thought-experiment with me.
Forgive the example which speaks to my Catholic background.
–Assume that Mehmet Ali Agca had killed Pope John Paul II that day in 1981 in St. Peter’s Square.
–Assume that all of the world’s more than 1 billion Catholics are passionately, devotedly adherent to the pope, both as spiritual leader and as a person.
–Fact: Neither Vatican City nor Italy has a death penalty.
–Conclusion: More than 1 billion Catholics can (by Alabama’s standards) never have “closure”?
This demonstrates to me the fallacy of the argument for capital punishment as “closure.”
The argument can only hold water if there is some expectation that this can and should happen (”can and should” is a pair, not a choice, here).
When both are not the case, then closure must occur on other terms.
As a believer, I am convinced that it can only occur on the basis of forgiveness.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with the worthiness (a dangerous notion) of the one who committed the crime. It has everything to do with our own release from wrath and hatred.
Revenge does not accomplish this.
There is no part of the phrase “life in prison without hope of parole” which, if taken seriously by our legal system, should not suffice for closure from the point of view of retribution.
It’s a legal way of saying to a convicted murderer, “It’s over for you; you will not ever return to society.” How much more closure does one need?
When does the desire for closure become a thinly veiled disguise for vengeful blood-lust?
If I say, “I want to see you pay; I want to see you suffer,” how different am I from the one who committed the murder in the first place — even granting that I am reacting to, and not initiating, a killing?
If execution by lethal injection (or in the gas chamber) is intended to be a quick and relatively painless form of execution, why does this equal closure?
Don’t we want the criminal to suffer? Or will we leave the windows of the execution chamber thinking, “He got off easy; how dare he?!”
In such a case, there is no closure at all, but only deepening anger.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s character Gandalf said it best in his conversation with Frodo about the role of Gollum in the soon-to-break “War of the Ring.”
In reply to Frodo’s outburst — “He deserves death!” — Gandalf replies, “Deserves it? I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death.
“And some that die deserve life; can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
How wise is our state Supreme Court? How wise is our attorney general? How wise is our governor?
How wise are we all, really?
©2008 Mobile
© 2008 al.com All Rights Reserved.
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21st Oct 2008
Having just returned from our convention in Dothan, I want you to know that abolitionists have a true friend in the NAACP Alabama State Conference and its President, Edward Vaughn.
I also want you to know that when it comes to action, enthusiasm, motivating its members,(and I am proud to be one of them), the NAACP knows what it is doing. “Fired up, ready to go!”
What is its secret, I wondered driving back to Lanett? Is it the obvious dedication of its leadership, which translates into action and a being always ready to help when it comes to issues of justice and real needs in the community? Is it that the leadership does not separate itself from its members and is always ready to listen, to help with a hands on approach?
Is it the inclusive vision of its leadership, which was demonstrated by having student dancers from Nepal to local talent performers at the conference and a daily reaching out to the forgotten in our community?
Most probably it is all of the above, which makes me so proud and humbled at the same time to sign myself as,
Esther Brown
Chair of the Death Penalty/Moratorium Committee of the NAACP Alabama State Conference.
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12th Oct 2008
Friends,
Although we have not written on the blog for a while, that does not mean that we have been idle.
For some interesting articles written by the men on death row at Holman, please go to the Wings of Hope section and read our most recent and also previous newsletters. While you do, keep in mind where these articles were written and under what circumstances. It remains a wonder to me how these men, most of them high school drop outs, can consistently turn out such thoughtful and thought provoking articles.
Any feedback will be passed on to the authors.
beesther@earthlink.net
Esther
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25th Jun 2008
Friends,
Yesterday I had the distinct honor of a one on one meeting with United Nations Envoy, Philip Alston, special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions and his team of three. During Mr. Alston’s brief visit to Montgomery he and his team met with State officials and others as part of a fact finding mission on different aspects of the death penalty. The findings will be part of a special report to be presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
During our meeting a wide range of topics was covered and included aspects of the death penalty in Alabama, legislation, grass roots organizing, church groups, racism, economics, phadp’s mission as well as state and national politics. In searching how best to describe the meeting, I would say that we spoke the same realistic language.
Mr. Alston and his team have now moved on to Texas and in closing I would like to quote a very knowledgeable friend who said to me yesterday: Whatever the outcome, it was good for Alabama.
Esther
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18th Jun 2008
While we are making some progress on Death Penalty issues, we must remain focused and not sell the indigent short. Chief Justice Cobb mades a good speech, but let us not forget political posturing tends to be the true motive for some.
Immidiately, I noticed the wording, hence…”ensure that criminals in capital cases”…stating a pre-concept of guilt. The subtle undertone was not missed. And it was throughout the article. Not once, is there a reference of ensure that ”defendents” in Capital cases.
What ensures equal protection is written law, for the indigent as well as the wealthy. Another committee of paid cronies will not ensure equal protection, just the appearance. In fact, it gives less cause for the indigent to challenge the courts. Maybe that is what they are after? One must keep forethought of the reality and possibility, or lack thereof, this “committee” would represent.
Unless, and until, Alabama takes corrective measures to: ensure caseload limits, competent training in death penalty laws, and the same resources afforded the State, equal protection is nothing more than a facade and nothing more than political posturing.
I just wanted to state that point, as we must keep our guard in place at all times, most certainly in times of heated political posturing.
Sincerely,
O’Della
Mobile, AL
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17th Jun 2008
Hello Esther; it’s been a while. I haven’t reached out and thanked you for all you did for me. I finally had a chance to read the little book Creepin’ Death you gave me. I was thinking about Jeff wondering how he is holding up. I am going to write him a note today, I just don’t have a return address but anyway have to write him.
I am leaving God awful Texas tomorrow. I am making my way to N.C. Gonna visit my mom and some folks I met along the walk. Anyway I hope everything is good with you dear. I think of you and Judy often. Bless you both,
Your friend and comrade “X”
P.S. I miss that coffee too:), much love dear.
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12th Jun 2008
Placing Oneself Above God
When I hear people say something crazy and foolish, particularly in politics, I wonder if they took a moment before they opened their mouth. Take for example, a statement Attorney General Troy King made about Daniel Siebert who resided on Alabama’s Death Row until his death from pancreatic cancer. His statement left me with a few nagging questions. One being, when does an act of God become a miscarriage of justice?
I’m sure there will be some who say that Siebert’s cancer was a way of God punishing him for his prior bad acts. But what about that man or woman who died from cancer who expressed God’s true love through their daily living? What about the children? Why are they punished? As believers, we believe that God is full of compassion, merciful, forgiving, unwavering and righteous. As a believer in Christ, one believes that God gave His one and only begotten Son to be the price for all our sins and iniquities so that we may not perish but have life– life abundantly. So I ask, was it unjust of God to end Siebert’s suffering here on earth? Was it a miscarriage of God’s love to spare him from man’s vengeance and injustice? Does King know better than God?
I found King’s statement to be bold, political and offensive. King says that he stands by his faith (Christianity), but I’m wondering if he’s gotten too big for his breeches and has placed himself above God? Is that the type of person Alabama wants as Attorney General? Does his statement speak for all of us? Have we too placed ourselves above God and his infinite love?
King’s statement also brought another question to mind, is capital punishment truly about justice? If we read between the lines or looked at the statement behind the statement, we would discover that the death penalty is clearly about vengeance and taking pleasure in it. Why else make a statement like that? Why else be upset about Siebert escaping lethal injection? Daniel Siebert is dead. He’s not coming back. If it were about justice (an eye for an eye) we would rape the rapist to show that raping is wrong. We would burglarize the homes of burglars. But since that does not occur then capital punishment has to be about vengeance and taking sick pleasure in it.
Omar D.
Omar D. is a member of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty
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24th Apr 2008
To all of you who are fighting for the abolishment of the death penalty, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your fight. Many years ago my son Damian’s father, Daniel Siebert involved himself with your organization and through his work with you his spirit grew. Through his growth in spirit he learned to fight with words to get the message out there that the death penalty is wrong. He realized that death for vengeance sake would not solve anything. Danny believed that you have to begin by fiinding out what is wrong with those who harm others. Begin there and maybe there is a chance for a better life.
Thank you Project Hope! I have faithfully received your emails over the years and from this Danny and I had many things to discuss and think about. Continue to fight for the abolishment of the death penalty because death by vengeance will change nothing.
To those family members who Danny has hurt, he is gone now and maybe you can have peace within yourself.
Vicky
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23rd Apr 2008
On behalf of the Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty family it is my task to announce that Daniel Siebert died today, 4.22.08 of pancreatic cancer. Any death gives one pause and one feels sadness, but in Danny’s case I know he would not want us to be sad but to rather celebrate that he beat the executioner. That was his wish, a wish he expressed to many, also to Darrell Grayson right after the cancer diagnosis.
Some years ago Danny was part of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty and kept things lively with his many original ideas. Danny was also a gifted artist and a friend to many at Holman. We extend our condolences to his family at Holman and to his attorney.
We hope that those who need to forgive Danny, will find it in their hearts to do so now for their own sakes. To quote Sr. Helen, we are all more than the worst thing we have ever done. And Danny too was much more than that!
Rest in Peace, Danny!
Esther for all of phadp
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