Minutes from the June 3, 2007, TFADP Meeting

 

Members present:  Paul Blackburn, Dave Peacefull, Lyle Schauer, Ruth Van Cleve, Manuel Vicens, Janet Yance

  

1.  Thank you from VADP

Paul read a thank-you note from Jack Payden-Travers for the $1,500 that UUCA raised in its Share-the-Plate offering on April 15.  The message reads:

 

Dear Friends,

 

To all the contributors from UUC of Arlington, many, many thanks. THANK YOU! from all of us who make up Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

 

The day your check arrived in the mail I was asking myself questions about the costs of the mailing on the upcoming execution of Chris Scott Emmett and our Spring Fund Appeal. The postage alone was to run some $1435.00! Then I opened the day's mail and there was your check. It was like the answer to a prayer. Coincidental, perhaps, but certainly serendipitous.

 

It is folks like you who give people like me the energy to keep on going.

Peace & Trust,

Jack

 

2.  Execution of Christopher Scott Emmet – June 13

Unfortunately, it appears this execution is likely to take place as scheduled.  The only hope seems to be that Governor Tim Kaine may declare a moratorium to look at the lethal injection protocol.  Lyle pointed out that, recently, a badly botched execution in Ohio took 90 minutes before the man finally expired.  Participants were urged to send an email to the Governor and to plan to attend the VADP vigil at the Arlington Courthouse if the execution goes forward.

 

3.  Discussion of effective advocacy in fighting Virginia’s death penalty

Dave passed around an article by Stuart Banner called “The Death Penalty’s Strange Career” and Paul provided notes from his talk on “400 Years of Capital Punishment in Virginia,” but most of the discussion revolved around the one-pager below on “Major arguments against capital punishment.”  During the spirited discussion each of us identified the arguments we find most compelling on a personal level and in terms of influencing others.  The major point of difference was over what priority to give to moral arguments when making our case.

 

The next TFADP meeting will be September 9, the second Sunday in September.

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Major arguments against capital punishment

 

1  Morality

            Life is sacred – all religions agree on this point

            As UUs we say that all persons have inherent worth and dignity

            Snuffing a life removes possibility for forgiveness, redemption, healing

            Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation (MVFR) & Coretta Scott King agree

 

2.  Bias and error

            Minorities and the poor are the most heavily affected

            A “lottery of jurisdiction” – many states and counties don’t have it (by law or not)

            Wrongful sentences abound.  124 death row exonerations so far

 

3.  Brutalizing effect on society

            Emphasis on vengeance promotes a culture of violence

            Non-death penalty states have lower murder rates than those with it

 

4.  Cruel and unusual punishment (i.e., unconstitutional)

            Lethal injection now known to be much more painful than originally thought

            The protocol, especially use of paralytic agent pancuronium bromide, dangerous

            Administered by non-medical personnel who often poorly trained

           

5.  Out of step with international practice

            No death penalty in more than 100 countries

            None in other countries of the Western Hemisphere

            No capital punishment a condition for membership in European Union

 

6.  Unnecessary and impractical – and on the way out anyway

            Life without parole a perfectly viable alternative

            Costs less money and doesn’t tie up so much of the court system

            Less emotional strain on victim families

            Public support growing for LWOP  – now about 50% of those given as alternative

            Jury death sentences down by more than 50% in recent years