Day 3: Lobbying, and rallying and marching -- Oh My!

First posted by Dallas Morning News. This blog post is written by Pamela Skjolsvik, a blogger and author currently finishing her first book, Death Becomes Us. A resident of Bedford, she earned a master's degree in 2010 from Goucher College in Maryland. Her writing has been included in Creative Nonfiction, the Durango Herald, and in the upcoming Ten Spurs literary journal from the University of North Texas. 


Yesterday was the Day of Innocence lobby day and rally to stop executions in Texas. After a meet and greet with the death row exonerees--Clarence Brandley, Shujaa Graham, Ron Keine and Albert Burrell--I followed the Kids Against the Death Penalty group to the House gallery.

First of all, I am ashamed to admit that I know very little about how our government actually works. (Sorry Mr. Riggle) Call me naïve, or simply optimistic, but I fully expected decorum, but speakers at the podium had to compete with the din of loud voices, casual conversations and a sort of bored indifference to the proceedings. I felt ashamed that no one was paying attention and that less than half of our elected representatives were in attendance. As people scurried around the room pressing buttons at empty desks, Teri Been, whose brother, Jeff Woods, is on death row due to the Law of Parties, had to explain the practice of ghost voting to me.

I was shocked.

As Representative Harold Dutton approached the podium, a voice of reason rang out into the room. Representative Jim Keffer asked that people be respectful and take their conversations outside. I would have loved to quote his actual words, but I could barely hear him. The room hushed as Representative Dutton honored the exonerees who were in attendance with a resolution. In regards to these men's incarceration on death row for crimes they didn't commit he said, "You have gone through hell while living here on earth."
Amen.

After that, I followed the KADP members to several Representatives offices around the Capitol. The kids were concentrating their efforts on the HB 855 and HB 2511, which concern the Law of Parties. The kids spoke mainly with aides, but they were able to speak one on one with Representative Cindy Burkett. Representative Burkett listened attentively to Teri Been's story of her brother's life on death row. As Ms. Been relayed the events of her brother's execution date (he received a stay hours before his execution) she broke down. Representative Burkett hugged Teri and said, "I'm a hugger." And I'm glad she was.


Although the members of KADP are focusing their attention on a very serious issue, they are just teens. As all seven of them entered and left each office, they were sure to take a piece of candy from the various bowls placed by each sign in book. Hey, I did too. In Representative Pete Gallego's office, the kids giddily ventured out onto the balcony to take in the scenery.

As the day wore on, I asked Nick who is fourteen about his work with KADP.

In a very serious manner he told me about their meetings and the protests they've organized. I thought back to my concerns when I was fourteen. If memory serves, the only thing I was passionate about was finding the perfect hair styling product. If only I'd paid more attention in Mr. Riggle's American Government class, I too could have addressed the World Congress in Geneva, like three of the members of KADP did.

"We're like really famous in Switzerland," Nick informs me.

Yeah, I bet they are.

If you'd like to read more about their efforts, go here.

Video of Gavin, Nick and Nathan Speaking on Behalf of Kids Against the Death Penalty in Geneva Switzerland at World Congress

The young nephews of an American death row inmate started Kids Against the Death Penalty and recently traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to attend and speak at the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty.

Gavin, Nick and Nathan Been (12, 13 and 15) are just like any American teenagers – teasing their mom Terri about growing taller than her and asking her to drive them around to meet up with their friends.

Except their uncle Jeff Wood is on Texas death row convicted under the Law of Parties even though he did not kill anyone.

Watch an extract from Gavin's speech at the "Words of Victims" evening during the World Congress:

Kids Against the Death Penalty from ECPM on Vimeo.

Kids Against the Death Penalty Named 2009 Youth Abolitionists of the Year

Kids Against the Death Penalty has won the 2009 Youth Abolitionists of the Year award given by Students Against the Death Penalty and Texas Students Against the Death Penalty. The award was announced and presented to KADP at the Texas Capitol on March 24 by Hooman Hedayati, president of Students Against the Death Penalty and Jason Kyriakides, board member of Texas Students Against the Death Penalty.

The award recognizes the hundreds of hours of activism performed by Kids Against the Death Penalty in the last year educating the public about the injustice of the death penalty. The hard work and passionate commitment of members of Kids Against the Death Penalty has greatly benefited the national movement to abolish the death penalty. Several members of KADP are relatives of Jeff Wood, who is on Texas death row convicted under the Law of Parties even though he did not kill anyone.

Scott Cobb of Texas Moratorium Network, one of the many people who nominated Kids Against the Death Penalty for the award said, "Martin Luther King, Jr wrote in a letter from a Birmingham Jail that 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'. That sense of injustice was what compelled Dr King to carry the gospel of freedom beyond his own home town. I have personally witnessed how Kids Against the Death Penalty have brought their message of justice beyond their own home town to cities throughout Texas. They have marched for miles along Texas streets holding anti-death penalty signs, through neighborhoods in Houston and down Congress Avenue in Austin to the State Capitol. They have stood vigil many times at the Texas Capitol when Texas has executed someone. They have visited the home of Texas Governor Rick Perry and pressed for justice. They lobbied members of the Texas Legislature on Lobby Day Against the Death Penalty March 24, 2009. Carissa Bywater of KADP testified to the Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence Subcommittee on Capital Punishment on March 19. (The video of Carissa's testimony is viewable here from the Texas House website, click forward to minute 57 and 50 seconds.) It is also now on YouTube. KADP has courageously spoken out on an issue in which relatively few other people in Texas, whether adults or children, have found the time or the courage to speak out about. By doing so, they are following in the footsteps of other children in America’s past who have stood up for human rights".

"Children and teenagers played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. Barbara Johns was 16 in 1951 when she started a campaign for equal treatment at her school in Virginia. Her case became part of the landmark Brown v Board of Education decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled that school segregation violated the Constitution of the United States. In 1963, more than a thousand children skipped their classes and marched in downtown Birmingham for equal schools. Many of them were arrested. Because of those kids’ actions during the civil rights movement, we live in a country today where candidates for president are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their platforms", said Cobb.

"KADP has already inspired kids in other states to join the anti-death penalty movement. Because of KADP's hard work against the death penalty, both Texas and the U.S. have moved closer to the day when we live in a society where the state does not kill in order to teach the lesson that killing is wrong", said Hooman Hedayati. KADP members received commemorative medals and $100 to be used in their anti-death penalty work.

Also Gislaine Williams of Rice for Peace (Rice University) and Ashley Kincaid (University of Indiana) each received a Certificate of Achievement by Students Against the Death Penalty.

2009 Youth Abolitionists of the Year

Gavin Been – Founder and President of KADP
Nick Been – 1st Vice President
Nathan Been -2nd Vice President
Carissa Bywater – Secretary and Committee Chair
Paige Wood – Board Member
Cory Bywater - Board Member
Deanna Nickell - Board Member
Tanner Tucker – Board member

Members of KADP holding their awards for 2009 Youth Abolitionists of the Year.

Front row, Left to right: Carissa Bywater 14, Gavin Been 12
Back Row, Left to right: Deanna Nickell 13, Nathan Been 14, Nick Been 13, Cory Bywater 11, and Tanner Tucker 12

Not Pictured: Paige Wood 15

Below, members of KADP after receiving their award at the Texas capitol.

From Lobby Day Against the Death Penalty - March 24, 2009

Carissa Bywater of KADP Testfying at a Committee Hearing at the Texas Capitol on the Law of Parties.

Kids Against the Death Penalty for Jeff Wood

During last week's rally to Save Jeff Wood several of his nieces, nephews and their friends attended wearing t-shirts that read KADP, Kids Against the Death Penalty. Below is a video of them speaking with Capital-X about why they started KADP. These kids are amazingly articulate about how they feel about the death penalty.

http://www.savejeffwood.com