it seems that sometimes that ours is very small ... like check out this seeming non-sequiterian overlap from alex's and my lives...

i have a myspace and one of my friends is a 15 year old nashville high school student whom i've never met but spend time mentoring on-line ... yesterday alex went to the friend's meeting house and spoke with the youth group ... my on-line mentee was there and was very moved (emo-like) by alex's presentation and as a result she blogged on her myspace about the death penalty and the tcask lobby day on the hill march 29th... (blog entry below - she rocks big time) ...

oh, and how did alex get the invitation to speak??? the director of nami-tn is a member of friend's meeting as well as one of our legislative partners ... she invited him ...

so, tell a story, how small is your world??? ...
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Sunday, March 05, 2006

State sponsored murder, anyone? Current mood: discontent
So basically.
this is what's happening.

On Wednsday, March 29, from 8.30 - 2 you will be at the capital building lobbying against the death penalty, okay?
okay.

Some death penalty statistics:
Out of 120 people on Tennessee's death row, NONE of them could afford their own attorney.

16% of Tennessee's population is African American. 40% of Tennessee's death row is African American.

A black person is 7 times more likely to be executed for killing a white person than a white person is for killing a black person.

For every 7.5 people executed, one will eventually be proven innocent, too late.

4/5 people on death row are mentally ill.

Until 2000, it was legal in the United States to execute children as young as 13. Only four other countries in the world allow this. Any guesses?

Iraq.
Iran.
Saudi Arabia.
Somolia.

One of President Bush's reasons for going to war with Iraq was children being "killed". the word "executed" was strategically replaced.

Myth: Execution is cheaper than life imprisonment.
Fact: It costs more to execute a person than to keep them alive in prison for the rest of their life. An idictment where the death penalty is on the table involves TWO trials instead of one, which involves more attorney hours, and literally millions of dollars in court fees. To keep someone alive in prison costs much less, especially if taken into acount the debt the work off in prison.

Myth: The death penalty deters crime.
Fact: the OPPOSITE is true. If the death penalty detered crime, there would be no murder in Texas. Texas has the highest murder rate in the country. Also, a spike in crime is shown directly after an execution. One theory, though hard to prove, is that when people see the government kill someone, they feel it is justifiable, however subconsciously. Out of the 14 states who have outlawed the death penalty, 12 have murder rates signifigantly below the national average.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." - Ghandi.

"He may deserve to die, but you do not deserve to kill him."- Pope John Paul II
"Let he who is sinless cast the first stone."-Jesus Christ.

"If statistics are any indication, the system may well be allowing some innocent defendants to be executed." -Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

"Tennessee's death penalty system is still broken despite years of reform." -Federal Judge Gilbert Merrit

and my favorite:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Meade.

Baaaasically, even if you kind of support the death penalty in theory, it just doesnt work.
How do you justify saying to someone "Oh, yeah, you know your son, the guy we just kind of sent 1000 volts of electricity through the other day? Weeellll, we kinda found out he didnt do a damn thing. Our bad, but hey, rest easy."

How do you justify saying to someone, "Hey, man, good news! We're not going to lethally inject you next week after all! Sure, we robbed you of a life, a career, and a family, but you're what, 70 now? you have at least a year, maybe two before you croak! enjoy life!"

There's so many death penalty stories I could tell you that would make you cry and/or vomit. But my hands hurt from typing and thinking about it upsets me so fucking much, you do not even understand.

For more information, contact Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing
http://www.tcask.org/
615-463-0070

Please show up on the 29th. I'll love you forever.
Really, it would mean a lot if you did.
Love always.