Putting on the Greens | 12:10 p.m. Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, lamented many decisions made by the Supreme Court over time that he said went well beyond the jurisdiction of the court. It has micro-managed the death penalty, he said, “relied on international law that the people have never even adopted. The Supreme Court has even taken on the rules of golf.”
Later, he says rather bluntly when talking about her speeches that no one would disagree with the widespread belief that she was candid, and said he hoped she would explain some of her many statements.Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
"Inside Death Row," Nat'l Geographic Channel, Sunday at 8pm
On Sunday, July 12, at 8pm (Tonight), the National Geographic Channel is airing a program they filmed in Huntsville and Livingston, Texas last winter. It is on a show called EXPLORER and the show is titled "Inside Death Row."
We believe the three men featured in the program are Willie Pondexter, Johnny Ray Johnson, and David Martinez. All three men are now dead, victims of the state of Texas.
In most places death has no schedule, but in Huntsville, Texas, an average of 16 people per year are scheduled to be executed by lethal injection. Inside Death Row interviews three inmates as their dates of execution draw near, and follows the stories of their families and loved ones as they deal with death firsthand. This story is not one of guilt or innocence; it is about how the State of Texas carries out the death penalty as well as the men and women whom, by choice or circumstance, become players in the act of executing another human being. Lastly, it explores how the residents of Huntsville feel towards living in a town that is ground zero for capital punishment in the United States.
Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/4082/Overview#tab-Overview#ixzz0L0A9Y55K&C
Here is a some information from the producer:
The only way to communicate with death row inmates in Texas is by actual U.S. Postal Service mail. I spent a great deal of time during the planning stages of this project writing letters to death row inmates. It is odd enough to write to a stranger, out of the blue, but I was writing to strangers who were convicted of murder and condemned to die. What do you say? “Greetings from a girl sitting in a cubicle who isn’t quite sure how she feels about any of this?”
It was a lot we were asking. We were asking men who knew the date they were going to die if, without any tangible reward, they would be willing to share their story with us. We were transparent about our plans. We would be contacting everyone involved in the executions of those men who volunteered to participate. We would contact the families of the victims. We would interview wardens & correctional personnel. We would talk to their families. And we would film everything.
I watched the mailbox daily, hoping for return letters. We received them. After various exchanges, we settled on the three men in our film. When we met them in person, what was most surprising to me was how normal they appeared. It would be easier in some ways if you could come to death row and walk away knowing that all murderers were scary monsters. But they were normal, the type of guys who, without the jump suit and plexiglass, could have lived next door, or stand in line at the supermarket. These were just guys.
You couldn’t get away from the fact that these crimes were often awful. And some of the crimes, well - I once sent an email to my producer with a case history. I included the disclaimer, “If you are going home to your children, DON’T even open this case until the morning.”
We spoke with people who held strong opinions about the death penalty – both for and against it. What I walked away with – was that everyone on all sides of the issue – both for and against - were all deeply committed to justice. Everyone involved wanted to participate in a just society. And each participant – anti-death penalty lawyers, correctional officers, district attorneys, protesters, wardens, families, even inmates – every person was doing what they could to preserve the concept of justice.
The three men in our film were executed within the span of a month. One by one, after months of exchanging letters and visiting, we recorded our last interviews. We often were able to conduct an interview the day before they died. We’d say our good-byes, touch hands to the glass - the death row method of hand-shaking - and say whatever we could awkwardly think of to say. “Thank you for being part of our project” was all I could say.
Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/4082/Overview#tab-blog#ixzz0L09D1NMG&C
Professor Dennis Longmire, Sam Houston State Univ in Huntsville, Gloria
Rubac, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement; Kellie, TCADP, and
other abolitionists outside the death house on execution night.
We believe the three men featured in the program are Willie Pondexter, Johnny Ray Johnson, and David Martinez. All three men are now dead, victims of the state of Texas.
Inside Death Row
Read more: http://channel.
Here is a some information from the producer:
Visits to Death Row
By: Katy Jones, Associate ProducerThe only way to communicate with death row inmates in Texas is by actual U.S. Postal Service mail. I spent a great deal of time during the planning stages of this project writing letters to death row inmates. It is odd enough to write to a stranger, out of the blue, but I was writing to strangers who were convicted of murder and condemned to die. What do you say? “Greetings from a girl sitting in a cubicle who isn’t quite sure how she feels about any of this?”
It was a lot we were asking. We were asking men who knew the date they were going to die if, without any tangible reward, they would be willing to share their story with us. We were transparent about our plans. We would be contacting everyone involved in the executions of those men who volunteered to participate. We would contact the families of the victims. We would interview wardens & correctional personnel. We would talk to their families. And we would film everything.
I watched the mailbox daily, hoping for return letters. We received them. After various exchanges, we settled on the three men in our film. When we met them in person, what was most surprising to me was how normal they appeared. It would be easier in some ways if you could come to death row and walk away knowing that all murderers were scary monsters. But they were normal, the type of guys who, without the jump suit and plexiglass, could have lived next door, or stand in line at the supermarket. These were just guys.
You couldn’t get away from the fact that these crimes were often awful. And some of the crimes, well - I once sent an email to my producer with a case history. I included the disclaimer, “If you are going home to your children, DON’T even open this case until the morning.”
We spoke with people who held strong opinions about the death penalty – both for and against it. What I walked away with – was that everyone on all sides of the issue – both for and against - were all deeply committed to justice. Everyone involved wanted to participate in a just society. And each participant – anti-death penalty lawyers, correctional officers, district attorneys, protesters, wardens, families, even inmates – every person was doing what they could to preserve the concept of justice.
The three men in our film were executed within the span of a month. One by one, after months of exchanging letters and visiting, we recorded our last interviews. We often were able to conduct an interview the day before they died. We’d say our good-byes, touch hands to the glass - the death row method of hand-shaking - and say whatever we could awkwardly think of to say. “Thank you for being part of our project” was all I could say.
Read more: http://channel.
Professor Dennis Longmire, Sam Houston State Univ in Huntsville, Gloria
Rubac, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement; Kellie, TCADP, and
other abolitionists outside the death house on execution night.
Friday, July 03, 2009
What to the Prisoner is Your Fourth of July?
In this video, Danny Glover recites Frederick Douglass' speech on the 4th of July in 1852 titled "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
To commemorate the independence of the United States of America, Texas prison kitchens are fired up earlier than usual. The traditional Fourth of July meals are prepared by unpaid prisoners (can you say slaves?) whose only incentive for the extra work is leftover mashed potatoes and an extra oven-barbecued soybean patty, if they are lucky.
By afternoon, Texas prisons are bustling with activities. But today the activity is not the thousands of slaves in the cotton fields. No, the hoe squads, which are normally sweating in the fields while being watched by their armed overseers on horseback, are resting today.
Instead, volleyball nets are brought out and tournaments are organized around the basketball and handball courts. The big men work up a sweat on the weight pile, encouraged at times by female prison guards proudly displaying American flag patches on the shoulder of their confederate-colored uniforms.
The American flag itself is flown at high mast along side the Texas flag for all to see. Even the men living in super max segregation, isolation, and sensory deprivation—the death row population who is not privy to the day’s celebration--can climb up to the small slit of a window high in the back wall of their individual cage and watch those flags rip in the wind.
Despite the irony, not enough of Texas’ 150,000 slaves seem to question the purpose of a celebration of independence in a prison.
Prisoners were obviously not a consideration when the Declaration of Independence was written.
In fact, the reality is that prisons are neocolonial concentration slave camps. For the plantation to run smoothly, the master is dependent on the docility and ignorance of the inmates/slaves.
In Texas prisons, where the population is disproportionally Black and Latino, rehabilitation and educational programs are rare to nonexistent. The only thing a prisoner is guaranteed to learn how to be a better criminal, guaranteeing their return to enslavement, again and again.
For most prisoners, the July 4th holiday signifies a moment of relief, a day to eat, drink and be merry.
For the 400 Texas death row prisoners, the Fourth of July is simply a day closer to our impending execution.
God Bless America?
In 1995, an 18-year-old Howard Guidry was coerced by HPD to sign a confession to a crime he knew nothing about. A federal judge threw out the confession and overturned his case. Guidry is off death row and back at the Harris County jail, waiting to be retried or released. He is appealing for support. Like Malcolm X and George Jackson, Guidry has educated himself in prison. Now 30 years old, he possesses knowledge, courage & integrity. He is ready to join the struggle on the outside.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Austin Candlelight Vigil and Protest to Mourn those Killed in Iran
700 people gathered at the Pfluger pedestrian bridge in Austin, Texas on June 23 to mourn those killed and injured in Iran. Youtube link.
Austin Protest Against Election Fraud in Iran. Youtube link.
In light of the tragic and blatantly fraudulent presidential elections in Iran, Iranian citizens of Austin came together to hold a peaceful demonstration at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 in solidarity with the people of Iran and to show their disappointment with and disapproval of the election results.
As you have likely seen in the news, there has been an outpouring of protest over the past few weeks from the Islamic Republic of Iran and from Iranians around the world over the June 12th presidential election there which is widely believed not to have been fair or democratic. The Iranian government is using brutal tactics to crack down on protesters and shutting down their means of communicating with each other.
The universities have also been closed down and party leaders have been detained or are under house arrest. Cell phones have been cut off and the internet has been slowed down enough so as to become useless. There is fighting in the streets and scenes that are reminiscent of the 1979 revolution. The event is being called the coup detat of 22 Khordad (June 12th).
Austin Protest Against Election Fraud in Iran. Youtube link.
In light of the tragic and blatantly fraudulent presidential elections in Iran, Iranian citizens of Austin came together to hold a peaceful demonstration at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 in solidarity with the people of Iran and to show their disappointment with and disapproval of the election results.
As you have likely seen in the news, there has been an outpouring of protest over the past few weeks from the Islamic Republic of Iran and from Iranians around the world over the June 12th presidential election there which is widely believed not to have been fair or democratic. The Iranian government is using brutal tactics to crack down on protesters and shutting down their means of communicating with each other.
The universities have also been closed down and party leaders have been detained or are under house arrest. Cell phones have been cut off and the internet has been slowed down enough so as to become useless. There is fighting in the streets and scenes that are reminiscent of the 1979 revolution. The event is being called the coup detat of 22 Khordad (June 12th).
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Videos on Release of Yogurt Shop Defendants Mike Scott and Robert Springsteen
Below is also a video of a report from KXAN. If you can not see it below, click here to watch on YouTube. Thank you to KXAN for putting all their news clips on YouTube, instead of just on their own website. All other local news stations should put clips on YouTube too.
From the New York Times:
From the New York Times:
Mike Scott and Robert Springsteen, awaiting retrial in the 1991 slayings of four teenage girls at an Austin yogurt shop, were released from jail, while prosecutors search for a match to new DNA evidence that did not come from either of them. The original convictions of the men, Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen, were overturned. New DNA tests on evidence taken from the victims revealed the presence of an unknown male. Defense lawyers said that proved the innocence of Mr. Scott, 35, and Mr. Springsteen, 34. Prosecutors insisted that the DNA did not exonerate them and said that both still face capital murder charges. The order by Judge Scott Lynch of State District Court for the men’s release came in a hearing on Mr. Scott’s retrial. Prosecutors asked that the trial be delayed until 2010 while they try to determine the source of the DNA. Conditions of their release include avoiding contact with witnesses or the victims’ families.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Join the Austin CEDP Action for Rob and Michael
AUSTIN, TX:
Members of CEDP Austin are headed to the courthouse RIGHT NOW with a banner--to talk to the media, have a presence and demand DROP THE CHARGES NOW!
Not doing anything right now? Go and join them. Call to find out where they're at: 512-417-2241.
Members of CEDP Austin are headed to the courthouse RIGHT NOW with a banner--to talk to the media, have a presence and demand DROP THE CHARGES NOW!
Not doing anything right now? Go and join them. Call to find out where they're at: 512-417-2241.
Breaking News: Yogurt shop defendants to be released on bail
Finally after 10 years in prison and in a stunning development, Judge Lynch has ordered the Yogurt shop defendants to being released on bail. If you are free please come to the Travis County Court House to welcome Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen. Statesman's report:
State District Judge Mike Lynch this morning ordered yogurt shop murder defendants Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen released from jail pending trial after postponing Scott’s previously scheduled July 6 re-trial at prosecutors’ request.
Travis County prosecutors said they wanted more time to determine whose DNA was found in March 2008 in vaginal swabs taken from 13-year-old victim Amy Ayers. That DNA was later found in another teenage victim.
Defense lawyers for Scott opposed the request, saying they feared that prosecutors would use it to find additional evidence against their client.
Michael Scott’s wife, Jeannine Scott, said she is happy her husband is coming home after almost 10 years behind bars, but nothing short of a dismissal of charges will satisfy her.
“It’s just another tactic, it’s another delay,” she said. “The evidence already shows they have the wrong men.”
At a press conference, Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg read from a statement that said, in part: “The reliable, scientific evidence in the case presents one, and one only, unknown male donor. Given that, I could not in good conscience allow this case to go to trial before the identity of this male donor is determined, and the full truth is known.
“I remain confident that Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott are both responsible for the deaths at the yogurt shop but it would not be prudent to risk a trial until we also know the nature of the involvement of this unknown male.”
Lehmberg was joined at the press conference by Police Chief Art Acevedo and other police and prosecutors.
“Of course I am concerned about their being at liberty,” she said. “I think they are guilty of horrible murders. But I ultimately believe that the successful prosecution of them hinges on making this decision.”
Acevedo said that he supports Lehmberg’s decision to seek a continuance in the case.
“We do believe we have the right suspects in custody,” he said.
After the press conference, Acevedo said his detectives are continuing to work the case, talking to friends and associates of defendants Scott and Springsteen to see if they know anything about the case.
“I told my investigators, our department strongly supports them” and will provide whatever resources they may need, Acevedo said.
In a stunning new development in the Yogurt Shop murder case, State District Judge Mike Lynch issued an order in which the two defendants in the case will be released from jail, possibly as soon as today.
Travis County prosecutors were granted a motion for a continuance in the capital murder re-trial of Michael Scott.
Lynch then announced he intended to keep a promise he made in a court order Tuesday that he would release Scott and co-defendant Robert Springsteen from jail.
Both will be released under $100,000 personal recognizance bonds.
Both men are awaiting new trials after their prior convictions in the case were overturned because confessions they made to police were improperly used to incriminate the other.
Michael Scott. The state said it needs several more months to prepare, possibly until the beginning of next year.
Lynch said he did not anticipate the prosecution motion for a continuance but granted the motion after calling for a recess.
Upon returning to the bench, Lynch ordered that Scott and Springsteen be released on their own personal recognizance.
When both men walk out of jail, it will be the first time in a decade they have enjoyed some form of freedom in a legal case spanning 18 years.
At one time, Springsteen sat on death row and Scott had been condemned to life in prison.
Legal experts, who have studied the case, said they can't remember any other capital murder cases where suspects were given such an option.
Robert Springsteen. Police arrested Scott and Springsteen on capital murder charges in 1999. In December of 1991, four teenage girls were bound, gagged and shot at the I Can't Believe it's Yogurt shop in North Austin.
Both men confessed to the crime, but later recanted.
Springsteen’s lawyer, Joe James Sawyer, said he would have favored a trial.
"There is no question that we would prefer trial,” he said. “I want them acquitted and free for the rest of our lives."
Scott’s wife, Jeannine, said she wants peace for everyone involved.
"The big day for me is when 12 people declare my husband not guilty so this nightmare for our family is over and the state can start pursuing the actual perpetrator and give those girls families some peace and the truth."
Jury selection is set to begin in Scott’s re-trial July 6.
News 8's Catie Beck will bring you a complete recap of the day's events later Wednesday.
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg Thursday issued the following statement:
Today I requested a continuance in the case against Michael Scott, a defendant in the Yogurt Shop murders, whose trial was scheduled to begin on July 6th. Judge Mike Lynch granted that motion but also released both Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen on personal bond, as he indicated he would do in his previous scheduling order.
Requesting a delay in the case was a difficult decision but one that I believe is the best course toward an ultimate successful prosecution of this important matter.
Knowing that Judge Lynch would release both defendants, we requested certain conditions on their bonds, requiring them to remain in Travis County and report to the Court any change of residence, to have no contact with the victims’ families or witnesses, that they not carry weapons or consume alcohol or illegal drugs, that they report to the Court on a routine basis and attend all court appearances.
As you know, both Springsteen and Scott were convicted by juries in June of 2001 and September of 2002. Their convictions were then overturned by the appellate court, but their statements to law enforcement were found to be voluntarily given.
Since the original trial of these two men, new developments in DNA technology have become available. As we prepared for retrial, in March of 2008, we submitted various evidentiary items for what is called YSTR testing. This test looks for male DNA only and is deemed to be the most accurate test for samples that are mixtures of female and male DNA, as in this case.
We sought this testing because we have an ongoing duty and responsibility to use the most up to date science available, to seek the truth in this and all the cases we prosecute.
Currently, it is clear to me that our evidence in the death of these four young women includes DNA from one male whose identity is not yet known to us. The defense asserts that the testing reveals more than one unknown male, but the evidence presented at the hearing on Thursday, June 18th contradicts that notion.
The reliable scientific evidence in the case presents one, and one only, unknown male donor. Given that, I could not in good conscience allow this case to go to trial before the identity of this male donor is determined, and the full truth is known. I remain confident that both Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott are responsible for the deaths at the Yogurt Shop but it would not be prudent to risk a trial until we also know the nature of the involvement of this unknown male.
My office and the Austin Police Department remain committed to these cases. Their further investigation will continue to be a priority. My commitment to the victims, their families and this community is that we will not give up until all of the people responsible for these terrible and tragic murders are brought to justice.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Journey of Hope in Magdeburg, Germany
By Daniela Turß (author of the article) and Insa Nieberg (translation) - both Amnesty International Magdeburg
On Thursday the 14th of May 2009 the „Journey of Hope“stopped in Magdeburg. Three speakers from the United States shared their personal experiences with the death penalty with the audience at the Otto-von-Guericke University.
Bill Pelke is a relative of a victim, Terri Steinberg the mother of a man sentenced to death whereas Ray Krone was released from death row after he was proven innocent.
The event was organized by the local group of the NGO amnesty international under the patronage of the Initiative against the Death Penalty. This lecture was the only one in the federal state of Sachsen-Anhalt and the group experienced a rush on the seats available in the lecture room.
Tickets were sold out right at the beginning of the presentation as more than 120 students of all faculties seized the chance to learn more about the personal stories connected to the death penalty. The following two hours were filled with emotional yet balanced presentations that were summarized and translated by interpreters. All the points of views added up to a coherent picture: Death penalty continues the spiral of violence that was triggered by the initial crime in the first place. While convicts are often forced to wait in agony for more than ten years, relatives are in a situation between hope and desperation. At the same time hatred and desire of revenge have faded away- the only thing that prevents relatives of victims to draw a line is the fact that the judgment is still outstanding and not enforced.
Bill Pelke described his change of attitude from being an advocate of the death penalty to becoming a strict opponent. Being the grandson of a woman that was murdered by a group of young girls, he helped to turn the death sentence of the murderer, a girl who was only 15 years old at the time, into a lifelong sentence by founding the initiative “Journey of Hope”. This group informs people in the US, but also worldwide about the background of the issue and supports persons concerned.
Ray Krone, who had the doubtful honor of being the 100th innocent person to be released from death row, told the audience about this desperate struggle against the machinery of law. The story told made all so clear, what a parlous effect a lack of financial means can have on the quality of advocacy. The experience of Krone also illustrates the practice of some attorneys to insistently demand death penalty although evidence is insufficient.
As Krone was not able to afford an attorney, he was represented by an assigned counsel. This attorney was not able to use the countless evidence for Krone’s innocence in the first trial. Although the foot and finger prints found at the site of crime where not those of Krone, he was sentenced to death in his second trial. Ten years later he was eventually able to prove his innocence by a DNA-analysis. Ray Krone states: “There were times when I believed that no innocent man or woman is sentenced to death in the United States- however, by now I have lost every faith in the system of law.” Up to this day he has not received any compensation for the years spent in death row.
Terri Steinberg told the story of her son Justin, who was sentenced to death under dubious circumstances, because he was accused of initiating a contract murder. In this case, there is evidence of innocence as well- the most striking one is a letter in which the murder admits that Justin did not charge him with killing the man and that he made this statement in order to plead in mitigation.
Terri Steinberg is convinced that her son was not involved in the crime and therefore fights with devotion against the sentence of death that shall be executed within the next 12 months.
The conviction drastically changed the life of the family and their lives in the community of a suburb. While Terri tries hard to guarantee a comparably normal life for her other children, she needs all hope not to give in and continue her campaign.
The audience understood this when they saw Terri telling her story with tears in her eyes. It is especially her presentation that makes evident the emotions involved for the speakers when they tell their stories over and over again.
The stories told and emotions shared left the audience shocked and deeply moved. Some took the opportunity to ask Bill, Terri and Ray further questions, whereas others gathered around tables outside in order to sign various petitions.
The “Journey of Hope” was the biggest and most impressive event organized by the local amnesty group so far. It showed that scientific analysis cannot fully grasp the issue of death penalty – the stories of the speakers added more personal and very emotional aspects that illustrated the devastating effects of the spiral of violence connected with the death penalty.
On Thursday the 14th of May 2009 the „Journey of Hope“stopped in Magdeburg. Three speakers from the United States shared their personal experiences with the death penalty with the audience at the Otto-von-Guericke University.
Bill Pelke is a relative of a victim, Terri Steinberg the mother of a man sentenced to death whereas Ray Krone was released from death row after he was proven innocent.
The event was organized by the local group of the NGO amnesty international under the patronage of the Initiative against the Death Penalty. This lecture was the only one in the federal state of Sachsen-Anhalt and the group experienced a rush on the seats available in the lecture room.
Tickets were sold out right at the beginning of the presentation as more than 120 students of all faculties seized the chance to learn more about the personal stories connected to the death penalty. The following two hours were filled with emotional yet balanced presentations that were summarized and translated by interpreters. All the points of views added up to a coherent picture: Death penalty continues the spiral of violence that was triggered by the initial crime in the first place. While convicts are often forced to wait in agony for more than ten years, relatives are in a situation between hope and desperation. At the same time hatred and desire of revenge have faded away- the only thing that prevents relatives of victims to draw a line is the fact that the judgment is still outstanding and not enforced.
Bill Pelke described his change of attitude from being an advocate of the death penalty to becoming a strict opponent. Being the grandson of a woman that was murdered by a group of young girls, he helped to turn the death sentence of the murderer, a girl who was only 15 years old at the time, into a lifelong sentence by founding the initiative “Journey of Hope”. This group informs people in the US, but also worldwide about the background of the issue and supports persons concerned.
Ray Krone, who had the doubtful honor of being the 100th innocent person to be released from death row, told the audience about this desperate struggle against the machinery of law. The story told made all so clear, what a parlous effect a lack of financial means can have on the quality of advocacy. The experience of Krone also illustrates the practice of some attorneys to insistently demand death penalty although evidence is insufficient.
As Krone was not able to afford an attorney, he was represented by an assigned counsel. This attorney was not able to use the countless evidence for Krone’s innocence in the first trial. Although the foot and finger prints found at the site of crime where not those of Krone, he was sentenced to death in his second trial. Ten years later he was eventually able to prove his innocence by a DNA-analysis. Ray Krone states: “There were times when I believed that no innocent man or woman is sentenced to death in the United States- however, by now I have lost every faith in the system of law.” Up to this day he has not received any compensation for the years spent in death row.
Terri Steinberg told the story of her son Justin, who was sentenced to death under dubious circumstances, because he was accused of initiating a contract murder. In this case, there is evidence of innocence as well- the most striking one is a letter in which the murder admits that Justin did not charge him with killing the man and that he made this statement in order to plead in mitigation.
Terri Steinberg is convinced that her son was not involved in the crime and therefore fights with devotion against the sentence of death that shall be executed within the next 12 months.
The conviction drastically changed the life of the family and their lives in the community of a suburb. While Terri tries hard to guarantee a comparably normal life for her other children, she needs all hope not to give in and continue her campaign.
The audience understood this when they saw Terri telling her story with tears in her eyes. It is especially her presentation that makes evident the emotions involved for the speakers when they tell their stories over and over again.
The stories told and emotions shared left the audience shocked and deeply moved. Some took the opportunity to ask Bill, Terri and Ray further questions, whereas others gathered around tables outside in order to sign various petitions.
The “Journey of Hope” was the biggest and most impressive event organized by the local amnesty group so far. It showed that scientific analysis cannot fully grasp the issue of death penalty – the stories of the speakers added more personal and very emotional aspects that illustrated the devastating effects of the spiral of violence connected with the death penalty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
