by Gloria Rubac
Tonight
the state of Texas murdered a man who was my friend and a friend to so
many all over the country and the world. Cleve "Sarge" Foster was a son
to Mary, a father to Michael, a grandfather to Yuri, a father-in-law to
Rowan and brother to Susie and a number of siblings. He was innocent but
was convicted under Texas' horrible Law of Parties. Texas is the only
state who executes a person they know did not kill anyone. He was tried
with Sheldon Ward who admitted that sarge had nothing to do with the
murder.
Tonight
Gov. Rick Perry put another notch on his belt of executions -- number
247 --more than any governor in the history of the United States. And
this State of Texas is now responsible for 486 executions, with 11 more
already scheduled.
At
the Hospitality House, a place in Huntsville run by a bunch of very
un-Christian Christians, Sarge's family and friends gathered before the
execution. They were talking with Sarge when Joanne and I arrived
around 4:30.
Sarge
was on the speakerphone and was talking with everyone. He was
especially having fun talking to his little grandson Yuri. When I told
him hello, he asked what I was up to. I told him I was fixing to raise
holy hell outside the Walls Unit. He laughed and asked if I had my sound
system with me and I told him I sure did. He said to tell everyone he
thanks
them for all their love and support and to keep up the fight and never
give up. He said he had just finished eating his last meal and the fried
chicken was really good!
Sarge's attorney was Maurie Levin from UT in Austin and she is one of
the best ones you could have. She was tearfully coming out of the
Hospitality House when we drove up and I saw a look of utter horror on
her face so I asked what was up. She said the Supreme Court had just
denied Sarge's appeal. Later she told us that all six of
the men on the Supreme Court voted against Sarge but all three women
voted for him. We decided that sends a strong message that men are
generally inferior and we need more women on the Court. While Yuri's
parents, Rowan and Michael, were talking with Sarge, Maurie took baby
duty and was so comforting that Yuri actually slept for a few minutes!
He's a very active baby and never slept again during the execution and
during the time we were with sarge's body at the church, some 3 or 4
hours later!
Maurie has represented death sentenced inmates in state and federal
court since 1993. In addition to co-directing the Capital Punishment
Clinic at University of Texas, she works with the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program and
the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, consulting with attorneys
representing inmates, including Mexican Nationals, on Texas' death row.
In 2008 Maurie was recognized by Texas Lawyer as one of thirty
"Extraordinary Woman in Texas Law".
So the best for the best. Too bad the courts aren't the best.
At 5 o'clock it was time for those witnessing the execution to go to
the prison administration building,
which is right across the street from the death house. Before leaving, a
man says a prayer for Sarge. Sarge's spiritual advisor (in the white
shirt on the right) is Cathy Cox, a minister with the Salvation Army in
Dallas and an incredible, extraordinary woman. She has been visiting men
on death row for 30 years and has been with probably over a hundred of
them as they were murdered. The men love her and she loves them. She
visits men who never see another visitor for years and is such a comfort
to them. Every Thursday and Friday, like clockwork, you can count on
Cathy Cox being in the visiting room at death row, ministering and
visiting with her friends.
DaLisa and Stacey holding signs in front of Karl Rodenberg from Germany
and Ward Larkin with the long Santa Claus beard. The brother with the
white cap does a prison radio show on a religious station in Houston.
Sarge's good friends Joy and Danielle at the protest.
TEAM SARGE is on duty outside the death house.
Nadine Broxton is here from Paris to visit her loved one on death row,
Eugene Broxton, and to be with us to protest the murder of Sarge.
Sarge's son Michael and Sarge's sister Susie from Kentucky give Sarge a
last bit of love and tell him goodbye. Joy now has baby duty and is
entertaining little Yuri. Rowan has taken Sarge's mom out in a wheel
chair and folks are getting ready to leave.
As
Joanne and I drive back to Houston, Michael and the other Fosters go
back to their motel in Livingston. When Michael got to the motel, he
posted this photo on Face Book of him in his dad's shirt. They had gone
through Sarge's property and I guess this shirt turned up. Not only does
Michael have big shoes to fill, but now a big shirt! Sarge was a big
man in so many ways--he was physically large but with a large heart and a
large personality and a large smile for the world. AND A LARGE CLAIM OF
INNOCENCE THAT NO COURT EVER
HEARD.
Tomorrow some of the Fosters will drive back to Kentucky. Michael and Rowan and little Yuri will drive back to Montana.
Cathy
Cox will visit another man on death row in the morning and tomorrow
afternoon I will go visit Anthony Pierce down at the Harris County Jail,
a man who spent 35 years on death row and just got his sentence changed
to life and is now up for parole. He was barely 18 when arrested and is
now 53 years old. And he is innocent. Harris county has stolen his
whole life. But that's another story of injustice for another day.
In
just two weeks, the Abolition Movement will be back in Huntsville for
the execution of Jonathan Green, an African American man from Montgomery
County who suffers from mental illness.
Y la lucha sigue!
And the struggle continues!
TEXAS SAYS "DEATH ROW,"
WE SAY "HELL NO!"
