Killing in Our Name

Author: David Finke (upon request by PRC)

One of the agonizing aspects of capital punishment (a/k/a the State killing its own citizens) is that — in its official-sounding pomposity — a convict is executed (in our case) “in the name of the People of the State of Missouri.”

That’s what happened in the early hours of May 20th, after a 4-year hiatus in which there were no death sentences carried out here. In a dozen locations across Missouri people gathered in witness against this act, saying in effect, “Not in OUR name!”

The man who was systematically poisoned to death (though supposedly unconscious) was Dennis Skillicorn, involved in at least 3 murders — never as the direct perpetrator but yet legally liable as an accomplice.

Whether or not one is moved by the case (easy to make) that he was repentant and rehabilitated and had given his last 15 years to efforts at restorative justice, the opposition to killing him was a religious and philosophical one for most of us, not dependent on the specifics of his case.

I was gratified to see that — on the vigil line in front of the county courthouse in Columbia, MO, the night of Dennis’ execution — we had a dozen folks who in some way or another were part of our Friends Meeting. The mentor/exemplar for us all in these efforts has been Friend John Schuder, aged 87, who decades ago founded the Fellowship of Reconciliation in central Missouri. He has made and maintained the collection of incisive and dignified signs for people to hold on these vigils, and is unswervingly our most eloquent spokesperson.

Three of our local Quakers are featured in this picture of quiet outrage and grief. The image of people standing in silence rather than ranting is one that gets through to many, and bit by bit may help turn the tide of public opinion.

There were about 40 people present, including Catholic Worker folks who have a huge quilt on which they keep adding pictures of yet one more person put to death in our name since the ghastly practice resumed perhaps 20 years ago. We’ve killed over 50 human beings, and I think rank just behind Texas and Georgia (or Florida) in our blood-lust. [Editorial note: Skillicorn was the 67th Missouri inmate to be put to death since capital punishment was reinstated in the state in 1989; source: Kansas City Star – May 20, 2009.]

I’m grateful that we have the support of our Yearly Meeting, and help of Peace Resources Committee, for caring about this and being at the forefront of public witness against this barbarism. And that’s what it is, regardless of how Officialdom keeps trying to sanitize it.

Poverty Draft in High Gear–and Proud of It?

Author: Kent Busse
(a guest writing, posted by Bridget Rorem)

I recently read the New York Times article, “More Joining U.S. Military as Jobs Dwindle“…

This reinforces my idea that we need to have an official draft (universal national service) so that the country will not feel good about the poverty draft.  It is too easy for people to vote to send somebody else’s children to combat.  My version of the draft is a FREE CHOICE between military and alternative service–no exceptions, no excuses.  If enough Americans believe in having a military, we will have one.  We will vote with our feet–the same as we do in the marketplace.  It is the same principle as the Alternative Peace Tax Fund.

On the surface I’m a bad Quaker (a misfit in AFSC) because I believe there SHOULD be a draft.  I hope the above paragraph clarifies what I mean by that.

FURTHERMORE:  (organized economic feasibility)  In ancient Rome, one senator realized that they could not recall the Roman Army because there was not enough food in all of Rome to feed it.  Our economy has reached the corresponding stage–it would totally collapse if the U.S. military disappeared in an instant.  My approach is to CHANGE WHAT THE MILITARY DOES:  replace search and destroy with search and rescue.  It would be a vehicle for scientific research (e.g. feeding the world population) and distribution of cooperative initiatives to end the causes of war.  The Department of Peace discussions tend toward this direction.  Having UNIVERSAL military / alternative service would also be a wrenching shift in the economy, but it could be designed logically.

AND FINALLY:  (public safety is a MUTUAL responsibility)  Even in a world with evenly distributed wealth, open democracy, etc. there may be a need for police presence to deal with the anomalies of individuals who become violent for whatever reason remains to do so.  To me military means “A does to B,” while acceptable police work is “A, B, C, D” mutually carry out the standards of behavior that THEY HAVE MUTUALLY CHOSEN to enforce ON THEMSELVES.

What do you think?

Reforming a Bankrupt System

Author: Patricia McMillen

When I received an email yesterday asking for people to testify on January 26 before what may be the last (ever) public hearing of Illinois’ Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee, I hesitated for a minute.  “I’m not a reformer, I’m an abolitionist,” I thought.  What could I possibly say?  And worse: What Would Other People Say?  I could hear those voices already:  What’s a nice abolitionist like you doing in a place like this?

In fact, as a confirmed death penalty abolitionist of a few years’ standing, it’s abundantly clear to me that there is no way to reform Illinois’ death penalty: no amount of additional oversight, right of appeal, or protection of ancillary rights (such as the right not to be tortured into a false confession)–what the late Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, dissenting from the Court’s 1994 decision in the Texas death penalty case, Callins v. Collins, called “tinker[ing] with the machinery of death”–can, in my view, make a wrong punishment “better,” let alone right.

On the other hand, though I disagree fundamentally with the State’s presumed power to impose legal death on a prisoner, my attendance, as an observer, at much of the 2007 trial of Rodney Adkins, now on Illinois’ death row for the burglary and murder of Catherine McAvinchey in 2003, gave me insight into some of the specific wrongs which occur in Illinois’ enforcement of that unjust power.  To name only a few, these include the practice of employing “victim advocates” which report to the State’s Attorney (and therefore are unlikely to “advocate” in favor of victim family members who, as an unknown number of them do, disagree fundamentally with the State’s system of retributive justice);  the harassment I experienced as a court watcher in what should have been a public forum; the observable racial imbalance in the Maywood courtroom where Adkins was tried and convicted; and the equally observable inability of Adkins’ trial counsel to impress upon him the necessity of taking his own trial seriously, possibly an effect of this defendant’s lifetime of drug abuse and lack of education.  These factors were sufficient, at least in my mind, to make imposition of the sentence of death particularly egregious in the Adkins case, notwithstanding what I’d also characterize as a nearly flawless performance by the arresting officers, the State’s Attorney who took Adkins’ videotaped confession, and even the prosecuting trial attorneys, who seemed quite competent and professional in their presentation of the voluminous evidence of Adkins’ guilt.

After outlining these topics informally with one of the CPRSC members, I now find myself  persuaded to give my testimony to the Committee, and I’m even planning to meet next week with another Friend who (as she also attended part of the Adkins trial, as an observer) I hope will also testify, or at least file written testimony with the Committee.  (At this point I’m not sure how to do that, but if others are interested, I will post details.)  And I hope that other reformers/abolitionists will join us in offering testimony at this hearing, which will take place 9-5 in a conference room off the atrium (lower level) food court in the Thompson Center (Lake and LaSalle Sts., Chicago). NOTE that outright abolition statements will not be welcome (while some members of the CPRSC are abolitionists, the sole charge of the committee is to study “reform,” not abolition).

Declaration of Life

One of the campaigns that ILYM PRC is bringing to a wider audience is to encourage personal expression through use of the anti-death penalty “Declaration of Life” wallet card.wallet-card_declaration-of-life2

In part, we as Friends “are opposed to capital punishment because it is contrary to the Divine law of love. The application of the death penalty is brutalizing and degrading to the public mind. It leaves no room for the reformation of character, which should be the principal aim of criminal law, nor for the revision of the sentence in the event of a miscarriage of justice.”

On our website we outline the history and motivation of Quaker work around the issue of the dealth penalty in more detail, and share some specific educational resources, but wanted to share this specific action here, as well.

To download the “Declaration of Life” wallet card, click here.

Greetings from Camp Hope

camp-hope

Greetings F/friends,

Steve Flowers from ground zero / Camp Hope Chicago. For those that are not aware of whats going on in the streets, churches, faith communities in the Hyde Park area, home of 57th street meeting of Friends -also my monthly meeting- go to http://www.camphope2009.org.  I have been most recently very active in the planning and running of Camp Hope as the co-clerk of 57th Street Meeting of Friends Peace & Social Concerns Committee.

This has been an inspirational experience for me. Witnessing and supporting the youth involved in the organizing, staffing, collaboratively running of this project has brought much joy and hope that a new dawn in the peace movement has arrived. It has been a while, I started my work in the peace movement back before Paul Simon won as Senator from IL on the heals of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Movement, since I have experienced the energy of youth facing down and braveing cold snowy days of frigid temps sharing their desire for Peace.

Living in public housing, where Obama orgaized prior to his arrival, from the north and south city limits of Chicago to attending schools from Carbondale to Aurora, IL… If I were actually provided money for the volunteer service I currently provide I would be wealthy. On the other hand my sitting with a multicultural group of activists until late (10:30 pm) in the evening last Sunday representing members of the Camp Hope coalition deeply in dialog around the direction of Camp Hope provided me with wealth of the Spirit from which, though I may be poor financially, I carry on the struggle for sustainable Peace amongst all humanity.

May the dialog continue. Blessings; to all my relations, In Peace, In The Light, In Touch – Steve Flowers