[CUADPUpdate] TX Update & This & That

Wed Aug 29 22:41:56 EDT 2007

Greetings All,

Here are a few bits of interesting news and info.  I trust you will 
find it useful....

#1 - REPORT ON STATUS OF FOSTER CASE

Gloria Rubac Reports from Houston:

Dear Friends,

The update on Kenneth Foster is that the Board of Pardons and Paroles 
was working on John Amador's case all afternoon and didn't get to 
Kenneth's case.  Johnny was just executed in Huntsville.  The Foster 
family was with the Amador family in Huntsville for the 
execution.  Both families are from San Antonio and Johnny and Kenneth 
both began a hunger strike last week.  The Fosters had an eight hour 
visit with Kenneth today.  Tomorrow they will have 4 hours.

So tomorrow the Board will rule on Kenneth's case.  I am not holding 
my breath for them to do the right thing as they almost never 
do.  But I still think we should call them all morning until they 
rule.  The number to call is:

Board--  1-512-406-5852
Gov--    1-512-463-2000

It is so hard to have execution after execution in Texas while we 
know that this damn system will ultimately be done away with.  But 
how many people do we have to lose to this racist assembly line to 
death sponsored by the state of Texas?

I encourage everyone to turn their anger and energy at this machinery 
of death toward building the movement for abolition.  We can't build 
a movement for all of the 400 people on death row in Texas, so we 
must build a movement to stop the whole disgusting tool of the rich 
rulers of this state.

The 8th Annual March to Stop Executions committee meets on the 2nd 
and 4th Mondays at SHAPE Community Center at 7 PM.  We have a lot to 
do before the march on Oct. 27.  Get involved and help make it a success.

The Committee's next event is "Remembering the Innocent" a graveside 
tribute to Shaka Sankofa, Frances Newton and Joseph Nichols at the 
Paradise North Cemetery on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 4 PM.  Join the mothers 
of these three people taken from their families and all of us by the 
state of Texas at this event.

Pick up flyers for the Oct. 27 March to Stop Executions at SHAPE 
Center or at KPFT.

The New York Times reporter, Ralph Blumenthal, attended the Community 
Forum last Sat at St. Savior Church and his article on Kenneth is in 
the Times today.  Check it out 
at: 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/us/30cnd-execute.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/us/30cnd-execute.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Abolition Now!

Gloria
*****************

#2 - PROTEST AT SCOTUS A SUCCESS

 From 4:30 to 6pm this evening (the 29th), Art Laffin led a vigil at 
the US Supreme Court that was attended by numerous individuals and 
representatives of such groups as Amnesty International, the Campaign 
to End the Death Penalty, Maryland Coalition to Abolish State 
Killing, Murder Victim Families for Human Rights, various persons of 
faith, and at least five members of the media.  Art said he also took 
several calls from other media today, including from the San Antonio 
Express News.

Under the name of the Abolitionist Action Committee (AAC), CUADP 
wrote and disseminated the press release you will find at various 
spots on the internet, including 
here:  http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0829-04.htm   and 
here   http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/781154009.html  -  it reads:

U.S. Supreme Court is Site of Texas Execution Protest

Contact:  Art Laffin, 202-870-0607

MEDIA ADVISORY, Aug. 28 /<http://www.christiannewswire.com/>Christian 
Newswire/ -- With a last minute appeal in the Texas case of Kenneth 
Foster pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington DC area 
protesters with gather on the sidewalk in front of the High Court 
from 4:30pm to 6pm EDT on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 to call for a 
halt to all scheduled executions and for the abolition of the death 
penalty in the United States.  This protest is one of dozens taking 
place throughout the nation with regard to the case of Kenneth 
Foster, who was sentenced to death despite the fact that he was not a 
direct participant in, nor did he anticipate, the murder for which he 
is to be killed.  Foster is scheduled to be executed in Texas at 6pm 
Central time on Thursday, August 30, 2007.  If all are carried out, 
Foster's execution will be the third in as many nights in Texas this week.

WHO:  Opponents of the Death Penalty
WHAT:  Protest against Executions
WHEN:  4:30 to 6pm EDT, Wednesday, August 29, 2007
WHERE:  Sidewalk in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC

"We remember the victims, but not with more killing," said event 
organizer Art Laffin, himself a murder victim family 
member.  "Kenneth Foster is innocent of the murder of Michael LaHood. 
The state of Texas has admitted that Foster did not commit the 
murder. It is a simple matter of fact that Michael LaHood was killed 
by Maurecio Brown, who has already been executed. The murder of 
Michael LaHood  occurred when Brown left the car that Foster was 
driving and got into an altercation with LaHood. Foster had no prior 
knowledge that Brown would carry out this killing, but under the 
state's "Law of Parties" he was convicted and sentenced to die. We 
cannot let this happen."

More information about Kenneth Foster and related protests is at 
<http://www.freekenneth.com>www.freekenneth.com

Also being killed this week:
August 28 in Texas: DaRoyce Mosley is scheduled to be killed by the 
people of Texas in revenge for the murder of Patricia Colter.
August 29 in Texas: John Amador is scheduled to be killed by the 
people of Texas in revenge for the murder of Reza Ayari.

***

Thanks to all who showed up or who took action on this and the other 
cases at the end of their rope this week....

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

#3 - INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN FOSTER

CUADP received this earlier today:

>Hello,
>
>I am a reporter with Courttvnews.com. I recently interviewed death 
>row inmate Kenneth Foster, who is scheduled for execution tomorrow 
>in Texas, so thought I should share the piece with you. Feel free to 
>post or spread around as you see fit.
>
><http://www.courttv.com/facing_death/kenneth_foster/index.html>http://www.courttv.com/facing_death/kenneth_foster/index.html
>
>Thanks.
>Emanuella
>----------------------------
>Emanuella Grinberg
>Reporter
><http://www.CourtTVnews.com>www.CourtTVnews.com
>212-973-7939

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

AND NOW SOME THIS & THAT

#4 - Petition on EU

Dear Friends,

I don't often forward online petitions, but this is one that calls 
for action that I've wanted to see for a long time.  The U.S.A. and 
Japan have observer status with the Council of Europe, a 
pro-democracy and pro-human-rights organization founded in 
1947.  Currently there are 47 nations with membership in the 
organization, plus 6 observer nations.  (It should not be confused 
with the European Union.)  On several occasions, the Council has 
warned the U.S.A. and Japan about their human rights abuses--in 
particular their use of the death penalty--threatening to suspend 
their observer status, but up to the present, that's as far as it has gone.

Last Thursday I posted to The Abolish List (an online death penalty 
abolition group) asking what it would take to make this dog stop 
barking and start biting.  The email forwarded below appeared on The 
Abolish List today.  It speaks for itself, but I'd like to add that 
there are executions scheduled each day, one per day, Tuesday through 
Thursday this week in Texas.  The one scheduled for Thursday is that 
of Kenneth Foster, a man who never committed murder--and even the 
authorities admit this!  You can read more about him at:

<http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/09/140214>http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/09/140214

If you want to skip directly to the petition, please go here:

<http://www.PetitionOnline.com/EU270807/petition.html>http://www.PetitionOnline.com/EU270807/petition.html

If you agree with this petition, please forward it to anyone you 
believe will also appreciate it.  Thanks!

Bill Ferretti
Castro Valley, CA

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

#5 - NEW FROM PA!

Amigos, just want to let all of you know that the PA Moratorium 
Coalition has launched a new website at 
<http://www.pamoratorium.org>www.pamoratorium.org.  We have a great 
volunteer who put it together for us, and the best part is that it's 
totally free.

Also, you can watch video from the PMC launch at the state capitol in 
May on ACLU-PA's YouTube page, 
<http://www.youtube.com/aclupa>www.youtube.com/aclupa .  You might 
see some familiar faces.

peace,
Andy

-- 
Andy Hoover
Co-Chair
Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
PO Box 605
Harrisburg, PA 17108
717-236-4840
<mailto:ahoover at padp.org>ahoover at padp.org, www.padp.org

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

#6 - Fred Wrote:

Through Compassion death row prisoners are awarding four college 
scholarships to family members of murder victims.  The awards at 
$1,500.00 each bring to $34,000.00 the total amount of scholarships 
that have been awarded.  The four recipients sent in applications 
along with words about their loss.  Exerpts of their essays will 
appear in the September issue of Compassion.

The prisoners also announce the publication of their book "Today's 
Choices Affect Tomorrow's Dreams."  This book is a compilation of 
more than 60 essays written by them on the choices they made in their 
lives that led them to where they are today.  It is geared toward 
educating youth on the importance of making good choices in their 
lives.  It is being distributed without charge to juvenile detention 
facilities throughout the United States.  The initial printing will 
be mailed to nearly two hundred facilities.

For anyone interested in information on ordering a copy may go to 
http://compassionondeathrow.org.  For every issue ordered two issues 
will be sent to juvenile detention facilities.

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

#7 - YOUR NEXT VACATION DESTINATION

http://www.arkansas.com/calendar/event_detail.asp?id=28784

Thanks k!

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

#8 - American Voices (Satire!)

http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/texas_executes_400th_convict

Texas Executes 400th Convict

Last week, the state of Texas executed its 400th prisoner since 1976, 
when execution was ruled constitutional. What do you think?

See the answers at 
http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/texas_executes_400th_convict

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

#9 - Walk to Stop Executions:

Be a Walker, Join a Rally, Make a Donation

<http://walktostopexecutions.blogspot.com/>http://walktostopexecutions.blogspot.com/

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

Have an excellent end of the summer.....

--abe