Death Penalty
TEXAS SCHEDULED TO HIT 400 EXECUTIONS
Texas has executed far more death row inmates than any other state since the resumption of the death penalty in 1976, and will soon hit the grim total of 400.
On Wednesday August 22, 2007, the state of Texas is scheduled to execute Johnny Conner for the May 1998 murder of Kathyanna Nguyen. If the execution is carried out, he will be the 400th person executed and Texas will have outdistanced any other state in America in terms of executions carried out.
Texas regarded as the ‘capital' of capital punishment has carried out 20 executions this year the most of any state and is scheduled to executed nine other people this year besides Johnny Conner.
Four states with the death penalty have not carried out a single execution since 1976 when the U.S. Supreme Court approved newly revised death penalty statutes. Another 14 death penalty states have each executed less than 6 people in the past quarter century. This year, states as diverse as New Jersey, Montana, Maryland, and New Mexico considered doing away with the death penalty altogether.
While executions in Texas have continued at an alarming pace, new death sentences have decreased significantly both in this state and nationally in the past five years. Texas juries and prosecutors may be realizing that the pursuit of a death sentence is not worth the time, effort, financial investment, or the risk of executing the innocent, when society can be protected with the statutory provisions of either a mandatory 40-year-prison sentence or a sentence of life without parole.
Although death sentences may have declining popularity among the people in Texas, it hasn't stopped Texas from executing people and showing a total disregard for human life. It seems that when the death penalty was reinstated in Texas, it came back with a vengeance and the number of people put to death is proof of this.
It is against this backdrop that, I urge you to raise up your voices and take part in the Vigils throughout the state of Texas that have been planned to mark this somber occasion.
Help stop the execution of Johnny Conner and other death row inmates.
Abolish Intern DC
Comments: 2
After reading an article in The New York Times about Norway divesting from companies involved in unethical businesses such as producing cluster bombs, nuclear weapons or related components, Texas Moratorium Network initiated communication this summer with a journalist in Norway regarding the possibility of Norway using its Oil Fund to affect death penalty policy in the United States.
The Norwegian government has instituted ethical guidelines for how its Government Pension Fund – Global should be invested. Here is a speech by the Norwegian Finance Minister, Kristin Halvorsen, on the Ethical Guidelines in which she says that divestment from certain companies "is a measure of last resort, to be used in cases where the Fund runs an unacceptable risk of being complicit in grossly unethical activities."
The Texas government also agrees that divestment is a legitimate means of affecting policy change in foreign countries. During the last session of the Texas Legislature, Governor Perry signed into law SB 247, which places restrictions on the ability of public retirement systems in the state of Texas to invest in companies that are beneficial to the Sudanese government and are indirectly facilitating the genocide occurring in Sudan. The bill restricts the public retirement systems in the state of Texas from doing business with certain companies associated with the Sudanese government. In the Texas House it passed 146 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 Present, not voting. In the Texas Senate it passed with 29 in favor and zero opposed.
If Texas can divest from companies doing business in a country because of human rights violations, then another country, such as Norway, could place such restrictions on companies doing business in Texas or facilitating human rights violations in Texas, based on Norway's human rights norms.
My Grandfather always told us since we live in Virginia if someone is tring to do that here; "Make sure you bring'em into the other side inside the house",and "Only tell the police "; "I am and was in fear of my life!"
My Grandfather: Judge White was a good, fair and honest judge of South Norfolk,VA. and it took three judges to take his place after he retired from the Bench. And he knew what he was talking about when he said something and he meant it!
We need to protect and defend the civil rights of others but lets not forget our own, as individuals and citizens of the United States.
Thank you. wjb
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