9th Mar 2010
You know, Esther, there is always something very relevant and enlightening in every issue of On Wings of Hope. For me this quarter it is right there on the first page - when you talk about forgiveness in relation to all those involved in the business of state killing.
My friend in Texas of 12 years standing was killed by the State in January this year. I used to often speak to him about how we “preached” forgiveness for the people on the row yet I worried about how if ever I could feel anything remotely like forgiveness for the people involved in trying to kill him - and others. I used to talk about how forgiveness was of course for everybody, (or what does it mean?), but how I couldn’t remotely feel it for these people, which is so wrong. At one point, unrelated to this, he talked to me about all the talents that “the men back here have” and he said “they don’t know what they’re killing.” I am still struggling with this idea of forgiveness for these people involved in state killing but your words have made me think about it in a new way.
Take care
Betty McNeill
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8th Mar 2010
Dear Esther, I just got the latest Project Hope mailing, and read your terrific front page piece. I was so honored that you mentioned me. Quite coincidentally, I am giving a talk on forgiveness to a church group on Sunday, and I shall bring “Project Hope” with me and tell them about you and the tremendous work you and others try to do to bring forgiveness to this world, and to end the approved killing of people by our so-called “criminal justice” system! Keep me in your prayers, good friend. Toni
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1st Mar 2010
In a message dated 3/1/2010 5:41:05 AM Central Standard Time, beesther@earthlink.net writes:
a basis for equitable tolling. Unless there was “bad faith, dishonesty, divided loyalty, mental impairment,” or something of that magnitude, the court said, the deadline would stand.
This is the type of ruling that leaves me saying “What did the 11th Circuit miss, besides everything!”
Bad Faith? Most certainly. The attorney was aware of deadline and acted in bad faith by doing nothing.
Dishonesty? Most definitely. The attorney flat-out lied to his client, Mr. Holland.
Mental impairment? Well, Mr. Holland may or may not be, but I would have to question the mental competence of an attorney, in a capital case, who takes such a nonchalant attitude when a life is at stake! My automatic question of the former attorney in this case, “Are you nuts?”
This also raises questions concerning the competency of his new attorney, in my mind.
This is another example of why Alabama laws and their inferior system must be changed. One would think we were talking about breakfast selections, not human lives! It enrages me!
I just had to comment on this, thanks for listening Esther.
Hugs,
O’Della
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24th Feb 2010
Direct from our man in Geneva, Dr. Robert Baldwin! Original Message
From: Robert Baldwin
To: beesther@earthlink.net
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 12:24 PM
Subject: [Life and Death Matters] 4th World Congress to Abolish Death Penalty
February 24, 2010
A wealth of information and emotion
Higlights:
1. US is only western country that retains DP
2. Only China, Iran,Saudi Arabia,and No.Korea rank ahead of US in # of executions
3. All European countries and OCS states including Russia have abandoned DP save for Belarus
4. 145 states in UN have abandoned DP and only 47 retain
5. 97%of executions take place in only 5 countries, the US among them
6. 2/3 of countries with DP have abandoned it in last 30 years
7. Radelet reviewed 16,000 executions in US history: only 30 whites have been executed for killing blacks, and none for raping blacks
9. Rich victim leads to DP just as poor or black perpetrator does.
10. Of the 20,000 death row inmates around world, 7,000 are in Pakistan
11. In all countries social status, wealth status, race, and ethnic bias permeate DP system
12. Last year Europe and Russia executed not one
Quote of Day from president of Benin, Africa “Death rows are the ‘rows of shame”
Folks
Follow my daily activies and pictures from the conference at www.facebook.com/robbiebaldwin and click on “profile” for best coverage
Robert L Baldwin
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1st Feb 2010
The quarterly meeting of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP was held in Montgomery on January 30th.
As is usual at these state conventions, there were training sessions on various issues and reports from many good people about what they were doing in their particular chapters.
The highlight for me, besides exchanging with people I have come to value over the years, was to be in the company of Patrick Jackson, our student representative and Marc McMillan, Patrick’s right hand man.
I have seldom, if ever, seen such strong and intelligent participation in workshops or meetings. If there was a question that needed asking, they were not afraid to ask it, if there was information to be taken down, you can be sure that they did just that. They listened closely, interacted when appropriate, and from my observation, there was not a crumb of information that was lost and that will not be put to good use by the Tuskegee chapter.
Fortunately the plan for the chapter to write letters to the Governor on behalf of Robert. B. Melson is no longer necessary. Instead, the focus will be on letters to legislators on behalf of the death penalty bills filed.
As I observed and exchanged with both Patrick and Marc I realized that if there was one thing I knew, it was that there is hope for the future.
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13th Jan 2010
It was a cold night but that did not deter 50-60 students from attending their chapter meeting last night to learn about the injustice of the death penalty and what they could do about it. The president of the chapter, Patrick Jackson, who is also the Student Representative for phadp, had obviously done a great job of getting the word out. It was encouraging to hear intelligent questions and concrete plans of action.
A letter writing campaign to the Governor on behalf of Robert Melson is in the works. Students Yasmeen Salaam and Marc McMilian will spread information about the death penalty in their dorms.
We are very grateful for the enthusiasm and dedication of Patrick Jackson who is planning a face book presence for phadp.
For a while now we have wondered how we could reach the coming generation. Finally, it would seem as though we have hit the jackpot! And it all started with the NAACP!
Esther
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7th Jan 2010
Birmingham News Commentary
Opinions, Editorials and Letters to the Editor from The Birmingham Newsletters »
YOUR VIEWS: State should end wasteful, unworkable punishment
By Letters from our readers
December 24, 2009, 5:30AM
A new report makes it clear: The death penalty is on the decline, and it’s time for Alabama to abolish it. According to the Death Penalty Information Center’s 2009 Year End Report, we are spending billions of dollars a year to maintain our death penalty system, when only about 100 people were sentenced to death in 2009 and only 11 states carried out executions.
It’s simply too expensive. In the middle of a national economic crisis, Alabama should join New Mexico, New York and New Jersey in abolishing the death penalty, rather than cut funding for essential services like police and schools.
The report also notes a survey of police chiefs makes it clear: Law enforcement doesn’t need the death penalty to keep us safe. It needs more funding for police, victims, better equipment and more training. Alabama shouldn’t continue this wasteful, unworkable punishment. Let’s end it in 2010.
Esther Brown
Lanett
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29th Dec 2009
The Board of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty is pleased to announce that Patrick Jackson has joined phadp as our official Student Representative. Patrick is the president of the Tuskegee student chapter of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and comes to us with a reputation for organizing and getting things done. We have been most impressed by his enthusiasm, ideas and desire to work for justice. We look forward to working together and ask you to join us in welcoming Patrick to our family.
Esther and the Board at Holman
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30th Nov 2009
Hi Esther,
I hope all is well with you and that you had a nice Thanksgiving. I also want to thank you again for all of your help in making our recent weekend in Alabama a great success. And I hope we were able to give anti-death penalty efforts in your state a bit of momentum.
Take care . .
Kurt
Kurt Rosenberg
Executive Director
Witness to Innocence
P.O. Box 34725
Philadelphia, PA 19101
Tel. 215-387-1831
Fax 215-386-7288
witnesstoinnocence@gmail.com
www.witnesstoinnocence.org
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13th Nov 2009
Friends,
On behalf of all of us of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty I would like to thank all the men of Witness to Innocence who came to Alabama from states as far away as CA, TX, IL, MI, LA, PA, TN, OH, FL, MD, OK, MO, VA, NM and our own Gary Drinkard and Randal Padget to tell Alabamians that a moratorium on executions is long overdue in our state.
We are deeply grateful to Senator Hank Sanders who came all the way to Birmingham to speak at the press conference this afternoon. Words are will never be adequate to express what his decade long leadership means to us. We also thank Rep. Merika Coleman who came to address the group this morning. Thank you! The men were very appreciative of both of you.
Our thanks to the Executive Director, Kurt Rosenberg and the rest of the hardworking staff of Witness to Innocence for choosing Alabama for your annual conference. Our state needs all the help we can get and you were very good to us!
I had traveled to Birmingham yesterday afternoon, which gave me the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the men informally, so that when I had the privilege of addressing the group this morning I was already among friends. Thank you for coming! Thank you for surviving! Thank you for caring for your brothers and sisters still on death row. We hope to keep in touch and see you again!
Esther and the Board of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty
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