News from the Inside
What a month. First we want to thank you all for your responses. It has been overwhelming. That being said, and due to all the mail we get, please excuse us if you do not get a reply right away. We are doing our best, and will get around to answer all the letters. Also, the stamps you have sent have been a great help. We could not have done it without. And please keep them coming.
As you may know we have been busy trying to get to you, the media, the legislators and the senators, in regards to the bill, cutting out the CCRC from the state budget. We have no news as of yet. The sessions have been prolonged so nothing is settled. FADP is also doing some lobbying and just maybe – if all come together the right way- things can turn out for the better.
We went to the Earth day festival, which was a good experience. Most were friendly and we had some good discussions at our table. We are hoping to be able to do this a lot more in the future – getting out there and getting visible. On your behalf!
We can also inform you that we got our own web domain now, so hopefully www.FDRAG.org will be to find online within the next few weeks. Any suggestions as to what to put in “your” newspaper will be welcomed and considered.
In the next few weeks we have several events. Some okay, some far from pleasant. The killing of Newton Slawson will take place the 15th of May; we will as always be there, again having the company of Juan Melendez and Abe Bonowitz from FADP. We are hoping to be able to make “noise” again with drums and whistles. We got some positive responses from FSP the last time that the men inside could here us. You may not be aware but it was Amos Kings’ wish that we were loud.
We are also attending the hearing about the mail rule and the pen pal situation, so along with trying to get the web page together, getting the info packet ready for the newcomers to death row, preparing for the next newsletter and answering mail.-- We are pretty booked up for the next month. Luckily we are also getting new members in the group willing to help out-- so all is well and going in the right direction.
Please inform your family that they can get the info package on a cd or floppy disc by contacting Jolanda. Her contact information may be found on the last page.
We cannot say the heat is not over us yet, because it is, and we are sorry about that. But then again. the sun is still shining , people still fall in love, babies are still being born, and we have a Creator who loves us. It could be a lot worse.
God bless
Hannah
MESSAGE FROM FADP
Greetings!
I want to thank the folks at FDRAG for allowing me this space to share a few thoughts with you.
First, please accept my apology if you have written to me and I have not responded in a timely way. I have come to realize that if I am to be effective at stopping executions, I simply must budget my time. Because I get letters from prisoners from all over the country, and because I can rarely spend the time it would take to give the sort of response that you deserve and that I would like to give, I made a decision to have all of my mail from prisoners opened and answered by a volunteer. Doing this frees me to focus on the work that I am good at, which is being a pain in the ass to Jeb Bush and his cronies.
That said, I do encourage you to write. And if you want to write to me specifically, just make sure to include "Attn: Abe" on the envelope. I'll do my best to respond, but it may take some time, and it may be just a few lines on a post card....
If you would like to know about resources for prisoners offered by other groups, or if you were wrongfully convicted, please write to our prisoner liaison, Mrs. Jana Cole. Our address is below.
Now I would like to address a rather sensitive, but important topic: Volunteering for execution.
Governor Bush was heard recently on National Public Radio complaining that the only people he is able to exterminate are those who voluntarily give up their appeals. And you know he is itching to kill. After all, Jeb! has a lot of catching up to do when you consider the record of his brother George W.
I cannot pretend to know or understand the conditions you live in, but after traveling with Puerto Rican Johnny (Juan Melendez) and other death row survivors, I have been painted a fairly clear picture. When he speaks, Johnny talks about the almost 18 years of anger, despair and the frustration that he experienced, and he talks about his own thoughts of suicide. I can imagine that I myself would probably prefer to be dead than on death row.
But then I think that any time a person on death row allows Governor Bush to execute him, he is giving Bush an easy victory, and easy political points. I am reminded of the time I went to observe Amos King's hearing where he was trying to fire his lawyers. The judge lectured him and she
told Amos that if he fired his lawyers he was probably doomed. Amos asked my opinion. I passed him a note that said, "Don't LET them kill you, MAKE them kill you!" And I guess that was enough to keep him going on that day.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty opposes all executions. FADP does not agree that the state should have the power to kill any person. And that includes when a prisoner has decided to give up his appeals. Why should my tax dollars be used to give a prisoner that which a terminally ill patient cannot get? What I often say when asked by the media is this: "If a prisoner wants to die, I can understand that because I understand that conditions on death row suck. But don't make me kill him. If a prisoner wants to die, give him back his shoe laces and let him kill himself."
I realize that sounds insensitive. I really don't want to see anyone commit suicide. But in my role as an adversary to the death penalty, such a response is tailored to reach the pro-death penalty people, and to clearly express disgust with the fact that the only time the state is willing to bend over backwards for a prisoner is when that prisoner says "go ahead and kill me."
As Bush prepares to assist the suicide of Newton Slawson, FADP continues the fight. My message to you is, please hang in there. We will win this fight one day, hopefully one day soon. Stay strong!
Yours in the Struggle,
--abe
Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP)
800-973-6548 http://www.fadp.org
PMB 297, 177 U.S. Highway #1, Tequesta, FL 3346
NEWS FROM THE OUTSIDE
Earth Day-April 19, 2003 (by our member Carie Mendyk)
On Saturday, April 19th, myself along with several others women from FDRAG were present at the Earth Festival they had in downtown Gainesville. It was a beautiful day even though windy as we arrived early to get set up with our tables. We had a variety of things on our table to include: facts about the death penalty, Catholic teaching on the death penalty, our April newsletter, a petition in reference to what the FDOC is trying to do with banning Pen Pal ads, as well as information about pen pal sites and news about those who are innocent on death row who were released.
We also had available for people orange ribbons to have as well as cards with our logo on it and framed logos. We made a presence that we existed on behalf of all of you. So much of society cannot even comprehend what those of you on death row are like. I think they forget that you all are human and we try to show that yes, you are human and deserve dignity and to be treated as such
There were a couple of other organizations in reference to abolishing the death penalty present as well not too far from us. So as people would walk through the areas they could obtain information about it. Some people were very happy to sign our petition, some people of course were for the death penalty but at least they were thinking we hope once they left our table. All in all it was very enjoyable to be there representing you all. I would like to do more of these.
Earth day
What a nice day that was. Preparing for it too. What do we take? What is important? How do we present ourselves, and how do we approach people without being aggressive and pushing instead of pulling people. We worked it out, and we did it in a nice way too. We also met people from other organizations and it was a good feeling – being among “friends” instead of people that just automatically jump in your face and yell: “Kill them all.” Or: “what if it was your child”. I found a good one for that question though. I say: “Yes what if it was……. Your child on death row?” - That works every time.
But this was not that kind of a day. The sun was shining, the table looked great, and we had good comments on it, and I think that most of all, we learned what not to do next time, and what to bring etc… like…… Don’t forget the canopy because…. it is being put to much better use over your head that on your back porch at home, DUH…. kinda thing.
Or…. Bring bricklike things for papers- to prevent them from flying all over whenever a cool breeze sweeps over the place. We did try with various things to hold them down, but somehow people would look at the papers and when the next breeze came- well.. we had four butts in the air picking up flyers in a pretty big radius from the table. It was fun though. - And it was also a great opportunity for members of FDRAG to get together and talk in person. In fact. It is a blessing that we have several members from Florida this time around. Gives us better chances to go to hearings and rally’s etc. All in all. It was a positive experience and one we can hopefully repeat in other settings too. Like the big exhibition in Germany. Getting a positive profile is the main thing. And we believe it can be done.
A quote by Mahatma Gandhi to end this little blurb:
“What ever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it..”
I guess there was something to the bumper sticker I saw in the booth next to us. :
WE ARE THE ONES WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
Hannah
Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany
First of all, many thanks for all the information, emails, poems and art work which I received during the last weeks. I have to take a look at it and bring them in line, but I think I will use all of it. With all what I have up until now and what will come in the near future I am able to make a little poem book and will try to sell it, so we could get some money for stamps and other things for you guys. More information will follow as soon as it is available. .
A big part of this exhibition will be about cases and I have a lot of good information about the Frank Valdez case (many thanks to Wanda Valdez) and also about the case of Amos King. Here we have two cases from Florida which are so different, but both are so sad. I got information from John Huggins and he said he would be glad, when I use all of his poems for the exhibition. He wrote a poem about Amos´ execution; it touched my heart.
Once again, this exhibition is YOUR chance. I am “only“ the coordinator, so feel free to send me your thoughts or anything else you want to express. Please note that the starting date for this exhibition changed due to some organizational problems of the church. It is now starting in February 2004 and will last for about 6 weeks.
Love,
Britta
