DENNIS FRITZ OPPOSES THE DEATH PENALTY

Missouri Western hosted the Road Trip for Justice, a series of speaking tours about the Death Penalty on Feb. 15.
Sponsored by Western’s Newman Club and co-sponsored by Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, Amnesty International and the AJ Muste Memorial Institute, the Road Trip for Justice was designed for the purpose of engaging others to think about the Death Penalty and its consequences.

The speakers included Dennis Fritz, who was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder and spent 11 years behind bars before being exonerated by DNA evidence; Linda Taylor, whose son Michael has been on death row since 1991; and Bess Klassen-Landis, whose mother was brutally raped and murdered when she was 13 years old.

At the event, Fritz discussed the terror he and his co-defendant Ron Williamson experienced during 11 years of incarceration and his life mission to bring about a greater awareness of false convictions. Taylor shared the story of her son’s arrest and trial, and the events of Feb. 1, 2006, the day her son was to be executed before receiving a stay of execution. Klassen-Landis describes the fear she lived in and reminded the audience that no matter what they did, those on death row are still human beings, not monsters.

Taylor, who works with Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, believes that the event achieved its purpose.
“I hope it will give them an opportunity…to educate themselves concerning the Death Penalty,” Taylor said.
Kayla Kelder, a psychology-spanish major at Western, is the president of the Newman Club. Kelder argues that the event is not designed to abolish the Death Penalty nor talk down to those in favor of the Death Penalty, but rather to rationalize the worth of human life.
“How can we say that killing someone who’s killed someone shows that the killing is wrong?” Kelder said. “We should lead by example and that’s not doing it.”
Rachel Hansen, secretary of the Newman Club, was in attendance. Hansen feels the event has a very deep purpose.
“If we try to understand each other first, we’ll have a much better grasp on what another person believes,” Hansen said.
Regardless of whether or not the Death Penalty is abolished as a result of this speaking tour and the ones to follow, Kelder hopes that the Road Trip for Justice will succeed in showing people how the Death Penalty affects everyone.
“We’re all interconnected in this great big thing called human life,” Kelder said. “Life is worth so much. We all effect each other in one way or another.”
Source By jesse_west • February 19, 2009
Speakers oppose death penalty The Griffon News

World Day Against The Death Penalty Oct.10

October 10th is to be observed as the ‘World Day against the Death Penalty’. UN members will vote on a While 130 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, 69 countries retain and use the death penalty. But, the number of countries which actually executes prisoners in any one year is much smaller. Since 1990, more than 50 countries have abolished capital punishment for all crimes.

Human rights organizations like Amnesty International express their unconditional opposition to death penalty as a violation of the right to life and the right to be not subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In fact, the death penalty has never been shown to be a more effective deterrent than other, more humane forms of punishment.
The World Coalition against the Death Penalty (WCADP), of which organizations like Amnesty International are members, is organizing a day of local action around the world on October 10, celebrated as the World Day against the Death Penalty.
Read more here

National Weekend of Faith in Action

October 19-21, 2007 The National Weekend of Faith in Action (NWFA) is an opportunity for faith communities, interfaith groups, human rights activists, and others to examine the death penalty from a faith-based or values-based perspective.
Set aside some time during the weekend of October 19-21 for an activity or event that focuses on the death penalty.

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New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty A Message to Long Islanders

Colleen Eren, Organizer, New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty is a friend of mine and we keep in constant contact. She would like to get more Suffolk County, Long Islanders on board. I told her I will try to help her any way I can. If you live in Suffolk County, Long Island and would like to become a member, contact Colleen Eren at www.nyadp.org. Here is something Colleen wrote.

As a woman living in Brooklyn, trust me, I care about reducing violence in New York. Who wouldn't fully support the idea of lowering crime rates, making the streets safer, having fewer murders against civilians and police officers? Even if it takes some of my hard-earned taxpayer dollars, I consider it a worthwhile investment if these dollars went to improving DNA data bases so we could find repeat offenders. I would consider it worthwhile if these dollars went to funding domestic violence services, to better police training and resources, to gang interdiction programs, to resources for victims of violence.

But, as a New Yorker, I oppose the use of 10 million dollars of my taxpayer money a year to reinstate the death penalty.

Why? Am I a bleeding heart who does not want to see that potentially dangerous criminals are prevented from harming others?

Absolutely not. But we HAVE the cheaper option of the harsh punishment of life without parole on the books, and it is proven that the death penalty does not deter homicide against civilians nor police officers.

Furthermore, New York has the dubious distinction of ranking among the nation's worst offenders as far as imprisoning innocent people. In the past year alone, EIGHT innocent men have been released from New York prisons. On of the eight exonerated is Doug Warney of Rochester, the first man charged capitally under New York's 1995 death penalty statute.

Do I want my tax dollars funding the execution of innocents? Thank you, but no.

Do I want to make victims' families suffer through the years of excruciating appeals it takes for a capital case to be prosecuted?

Do I want to see a disproportionate number of poor minorities be executed due to the inherently biased nature of the criminal justice system.


Do I want the government to decide who lives and who dies?
Thank you, but no.

As a New Yorker, I oppose capital punishment.
And I oppose the incomprehensible movement every year by attention-seeking politicians to bring back the death penalty.

~Colleen Eren, Organizer, New Yorkers Vs. Death Penalty

As an organizer for New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty www.nyadp.org I can tell you that although a majority of New Yorkers oppose the death penalty when presented with the alternative of life without parole, we need your voice to make our demands known.

Join us at our events, letter writing campaigns, or just receive our newsletter FOR FREE

Contact Information:
Colleen Eren
New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty
Amnesty International PADP Steering Committee
Email: colleen.eren at yahoo. com (replace at with @ and no spaces)
cell: 516-849-2363
fax: 516-352-7815
www.nyadp.org

Amnesty International USA The Case Of Troy Davis

Amnesty International USA The Case Of Troy Davis

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

‘Where is the justice for me? ’

The case of Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia

Dennis Fritz has an Amazing Story about his fight for Justice. John Grisham calls his story Compelling and Fascinating.
A Book Recommendation - Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz On Amazon Here
International Orders Order Here Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz From Around The World Amazon International Just type in Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz