September 13, 2011
Georgia
State Board of Pardons and Paroles
2
Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE
Suite
458, Balcony Level, East Tower
Atlanta,
Georgia 30334-4909.
To
the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles,
I
write to you about a matter which has come to my attention through
the medium of the Internet, a matter which causes me great
consternation, as it involves the life of a man, scheduled to be
taken by the State. I speak, of course, of the impending execution of
Troy Davis, now set for September 21st, 2011. No doubt,
your offices have been bombarded by the letters, the faxes, and the
emails of many concerned Americans, deploring this action and asking
for leniency for Mr. Davis. To that tumult, let me add one more
letter, in the vain hope that my words might fall upon the eyes of
someone who is in a position to stop this egregious act.
I
will not sit here and belabor points that you have no doubt read
thousands of times over, in many and varied forms, suffice to say
that it appears that there is much in the case against Mr. Davis to
be found wanting. Were that not the case, I would feel compelled to
write nonetheless. For this execution speaks to a larger failing of
American society – our inability to separate justice from
vengeance. For all that he is guilty or innocent, those are concepts
for men and women to decide; that he is a human being, is a fact that
cannot be denied. Is it so important that this one man die? For his
is not the body of a savior upon a cross, in that his one death would
mean so much to broader humanity. His death would have no other
meaning, save to feed a need for vengeance and blood that we, as
human society, should be far beyond now.
This
man's death can right no wrong. It cannot resurrect the victim of the
crime for which Mr. Davis is being punished, rightly or wrongly. It
certainly does nothing to advance the cause or care of humanity, for
there is no more important admonition than one person shall not take
the life of another. Surely, if we truly honor that admonition, we
are left to ask: if one person may not take a life, what greater
right do many people have to do so? The State, for being a multitude
of human beings, can have no greater right or privilege than that of
its least member, and even that person may not kill another.
I
implore you to reconsider this man's pending execution and do
whatever must be done to grant him a stay of execution. Once that
important work is done, we may address the issue of non-guilt, but if
that work is not done, I fear we will be sorely judged for failing to
take one simple step in the name of justice. I thank you for your
time and indulgence during what must surely be a hectic period.
-----
If you wish to learn more about the case and what you can do to help in these waning days, I suggest you read “A verdict that is not ironclad is not good enough to support the death penalty.” by my friend Emily L. Hauser. And if you want to read a wonderful piece, also by esteemed friend, on how she explained what she was doing to her children, read Explaining the Death Penalty to My Children, published by The Atlantic.
If you wish to learn more about the case and what you can do to help in these waning days, I suggest you read “A verdict that is not ironclad is not good enough to support the death penalty.” by my friend Emily L. Hauser. And if you want to read a wonderful piece, also by esteemed friend, on how she explained what she was doing to her children, read Explaining the Death Penalty to My Children, published by The Atlantic.
Well said, Newt. We are each one small voice, but together, we can be heard!
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