Rally For a Moratorium on Federal Executions

"...I'm gettin' tired of seein' you people on the front page..."

When I picked up the messages on the toll free phone number sponsored by Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP), I knew we had made a "hit." A newspaper somewhere in the country had run a photo that included one of our signs at a demonstration. As a result, we were getting calls from those who don't like our message. In this case, the photo was of an action by anti-death penalty activists in Terre Haute, Indiana, home of the Federal execution chamber.

Activists in Terre Haute and Indianapolis held demonstrations July 26 in solidarity with a national rally in front of the White House in Washington DC. Despite the rain, almost 100 people turned out for a two-hour "Rally for a Federal Moratorium." The rally was held as part of the Fellowship of Reconciliation's 40-day "People's Campaign for Nonviolence, and was cosponsored by CUADP, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and People of Faith Against the Death Penalty.
 

Contact:  Abe Bonowitz Pager: 888-319-1369 Cell: 561-371-5204 ABOLITIONISTS STAGE RALLY AT WHITE HOUSE TODAY WHO: Senator Feingold, Representative Jackson, Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP), Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP), and People of Faith Against the Death Penalty (POFADP), and others concerned with Justice. WHAT: RALLY FOR A FEDERAL MORATORIUM ON THE DEATH PENALTY WHEN: TODAY (7/26/2000), from Noon to 1pm WHERE: The WHITE HOUSE, Washington, DC (Solidarity Rally at Federal Courthouse/Indianapolis) WHY: IT'S TIME TO STOP THE KILLING See below for: ALSO TODAY - YET ANOTHER QUESTIONABLE TEXECUTION People from across the United States will visit the White House at noon today with a demand for a halt to all executions in the country.  This event comes at a time when the executive branch is preparing to begin executing federal death row prisoners, in spite of growing national sentiment for a moratorium on executions. Invited speakers at the rally include U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. The main portion of the rally will be over by 1pm, but the rally will continue until 4pm. From 2:30 to 4 p.m. a teach-in on the death penalty will be offered at St. Aloysius Catholic Church a few blocks north of the US Capitol at N. Capitol & K sts. There will be a solidarity action at the Federal Courthouse in Indianapolis, also at noon to 1pm today.  Additionally, activists with the Abolitionist Action Committee (AAC) are preparing for additional action at the time when the first killing under federal law appears imminent.  For details, see http://www.abolition.org (click on "Upcoming Actions"). The rally is part of the Peoples Campaign for Nonviolence, a 40-day series of national faith-based protests calling for justice and nonviolence. The Campaign is sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the largest and oldest interfaith peace organization in the United States based in Nyack, NY. (www.forusa.org, wdcfor@excite.com) ALSO TODAY - YET ANOTHER QUESTIONABLE TEXECUTION WHAT: George W. Bush will oversee his 137th killing as Texas Governor, if he allows the Texecution of Juan Soria, a man who is clearly mentally incompetent. WHEN: The execution is scheduled for July 26, 2000 after 6:00pm Central USA time. WHERE: Huntsville, TX. A few weeks ago the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) moved Juan Soria from the Terrell Unit (the Livingston, Texas prison which houses Texas Men's Death Row) to the Jester IV Unit (the Richmond, Texas prison which exclusively houses inmates with mental health concerns). By making this move TDCJ itself acknowledges that Juan Soria has acute psychiatric problems.  On Sunday, June 23, 2000 Juan Soria's family saw him. Juan Soria was completely incapable of making himself understood. He could say a few  intelligible words, but he couldn't convey any ideas or thoughts. Effective September 1, 1999 Texas enacted a law especially to prohibit the execution of any person who is incompetent. See Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 46.04.  In lay man's terms, this law establishes that a death row inmate is considered incompetent if he or she does not understand 1) that he or she is to be executed and that the execution is imminent; and 2) the reason he or she is being executed. Juan Soria clearly doesn't understand that he is about to be executed, nor does he understand the reason why he is about to be executed. It appears that Juan Soria doesn't currently understand anything. Juan Soria's execution is illegal. POSTED BY: Abraham J. Bonowitz Director Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty