[CUADPUpdate] 30th Anniversary of Gregg- F&V Announcement!

[Abraham J. Bonowitz]

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Greetings All!


ANNOUNCING & INVITING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN
The ABOLITIONIST ACTION COMMITTEE'S

STARVIN ' FOR JUSTICE 2006
13th Annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death 
Penalty at the U.S. Supreme Court

                                                         June 29 - July 2, 2006


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Read the who, what, when, where, why and how of 
this important annual abolitionist event by visiting http://www.abolition.org

ALSO - stand by for special action materials, 
because....   This year is the 30th anniversary 
of the Gregg V. Georgia decision (July 2, 1976) 
which upheld the new death penalty laws written 
in the wake of 1972's Furman v. Georgia decision 
(June 29, 1972) which struck down all death 
penalty laws in the country.  This year is also 
the 50th anniversary of the United Methodist 
Church becoming the first mainline denomination 
to call for abolition - see the UMC statement below!

This year's evening program speakers include 
death row survivors Kirk Bloodsworth & Shujaa 
Graham, NCADP Abolitionist of the Year Shari 
Silberstien, murder victim family members Bonnita 
Spikes, George White, Bill Pelke and others, 
activist Magdaleno M. Rose-Avila, and others yet to be announced!

The Fast & Vigil takes place on the sidewalk in 
front of the U.S. Supreme Court, considered by 
many to be the heart of the legalized killing 
machines in this country. In addition to the 
strong public witness, this is an excellent 
opportunity to meet other abolitionists and to 
"recharge your batteries" while engaging in 
public outreach and maintaining a physical 
presence at the Court. ***FASTING IS OPTIONAL***

BOTTOM LINE, this is a great experience and 
training ground for people who want to learn more 
about this issue and to become very adept at talking about the dp.

Prisoners, activists from other countries, and 
abolitionists who are unable to come to 
Washington, D.C. have fasted or held events in 
solidarity with the action at the Court. This 
tradition continues to grow as well - those who 
participate in solidarity are asked to 
communicate details of their actions and contact 
information to the Fast & Vigil organizers. 
E-mail 
<mailto:aac at abolition.org>aac at abolition.org or write to the address below.

CO-SPONSORS THUS FAR INCLUDE:
<http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/index.do>Amnesty 
International USA Program to Abolish the Death Penalty
<http://www.stopexecutionsinmaryland.org/>Campaign 
to End the Death Penalty - Baltimore
<http://www.stopcapitalpunishment.org/cdn_project.html>Canadian 
Abolition Project
<http://www.cuadp.org>Citizens United for 
Alternatives to the Death Penalty <http://www.compar.com>Computer Partners
<http://www.deathpenalty.org/>Death Penalty Focus 
Directional Graphics - Call 619-531-1790 for signs and banners!
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House
<http://www.quixote.org/ej/>Equal Justice USA
<http://www.FDRAG.org>Florida Death Row Advocacy Group
<http://www.fadp.org/>Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
<http://www.graypanthers.org/>Gray Panthers
<http://www.journeyofhope.org/pages/index.htm>Journey 
of Hope ...From Violence to Healing, Inc.
<http://www.msjc.net/default.aspx>Marianist 
Social Justice Collaborative<http://www.mirrorimage.com/>Mirror Image, Inc
<http://www.murdervictimsfamilies.org/>Murder 
Victim's Families for Human Rights
<http://www.mvfr.org>Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation
<http://www.NCADP.org>National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
<http://www.otse.org/>Ohioans to STOP Executions
<http://www.paxchristiusa.org/>Pax Christi USA
<http://www.straightway.tc/>Straightway International/eDesign Publishing
<http://www.tcadp.org/>Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
<http://www.uuadp.org/>Unitarian Universalists 
for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
<http://www.ucc.org/jwm/index.html>United Church 
of Christ - Justice and Witness Ministries
<http://www.umc-gbcs.org/>United Methodist Church 
General Board of Church and Society
<http://www.VADP.org>Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty


TO BECOME A CO-SPONSOR, please 
visit:  http://www.abolition.org/starvin13.sponsors06.html

The Abolitionist Actionn Committee (AAC) is an 
ad-hoc group of individuals committed to highly 
visible and effective public education for 
alternatives to the death penalty through non-violent direct action.

Learn more at 
http://www.abolition.org/starvin13.html or by calling 800-973-6548

************

Please Note:  The United Methodist Church General 
Board of Church and Society has long been a 
co-sponsor of the Annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish 
the Death Penalty.  This year is no different and 
special plans are in the works - stay tuned for details!


United Methodist Church Marks 50th Anniversary of Stance Against Death Penalty
[]
  Marking the 50th anniversary of the United 
Methodist Church's public call for an end to the 
death penalty, the church's General Board of 
Church and Society recently issued a statement 
echoing the sentiments of the church's original 
call for abolition and urging all United 
Methodists "to practice transformative love, to 
comfort the victims of crime, to humanize those 
convicted of crime, and to advocate for an end to 
the death penalty in our criminal justice 
system." The statement comes five decades after 
the historic 1956 United Methodist General 
Conference, during which the church officially 
stated, “We stand for the application of the 
redemptive principle to the treatment of 
offenders against the law, to reform of penal and 
correctional methods, and to criminal court 
procedures. We deplore the use of capital punishment.”

In the United Methodist Church's General Board of 
Church and Society's 2006 statement recognizing 
the 50th anniversary of church opposition to the 
death penalty, the Board noted:

We celebrate this prophetic statement and the 
fact that The Methodist Church was one of the 
first denomination's in the United States to 
formally come out against the death penalty. The 
United Methodist Church maintains a strong stand 
against capital punishment as exemplified in the Book of Discipline,

We believe the death penalty denies the power of 
Christ to redeem, restore and transform all human 
beings. The United Methodist Church is deeply 
concerned about crime throughout the world and 
the value of any life taken by a murder or 
homicide. We believe all human life is sacred and 
created by God and therefore, we must see all 
human life as significant and valuable. When 
governments implement the death penalty (capital 
punishment), then the life of the convicted 
person is devalued and all possibility of change 
in that person’s life ends. We believe in the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ and that the 
possibility of reconciliation with Christ comes 
through repentance. This gift of reconciliation 
is offered to all individuals without exception 
and gives all life new dignity and sacredness. 
For this reason, we oppose the death penalty 
(capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes.

In Matthew 25:38-39, Jesus pointedly refutes 
revenge as a basis of justice and commands his 
followers to compassionately serve even their 
enemies. In John 8:1-11, Jesus exonerates and 
redeems the woman caught in adultery who was to 
be put to death. Jesus refuses to uphold the use 
of the death penalty and as his followers we are called to do the same.

Therefore, we urge all United Methodists in their 
churches to practice transformative love, to 
comfort the victims of crime, to humanize those 
convicted of crime, and to advocate for an end to 
the death penalty in our criminal justice system.

(General Board of Church and Society Statement on 
the 50th Anniversary of the United Methodist 
Church's Opposition to the Death Penalty, April 
23, 2006). See 
<http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=482&scid=16>New Voices.