[CUADPUpdate] Honoring Bill Pelke

[Abraham J. Bonowitz]

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Greetings Friends,

I remember the first time I met Bill Pelke.  He was speaking at an 
Amnesty International conference, and my only thought was to wonder 
why we had this "Bible Thumper" (*my* initial impression) at a 
conference of an organization that was supposed to be secular.  That 
was nearly 20 years ago.  I sure had a lot to learn, and I still do, 
but one thing could not be more clear -- the leadership of people of 
faith and murder victim family members opposed to the death penalty 
has been instrumental in taking this movement to where it is 
now.  Bill Pelke has been there nearly every step of the way.  See 
Bill's bio at http://www.journeyofhope.org/pages/bill_pelke.htm

I got to know Bill when we were both volunteer leaders for Amnesty 
International in the Midwest - he in Indiana and me in Ohio.  Since 
the late 1980's, it's been my honor to stand with him, work with him, 
sleep on the bus with him, even to go to jail with him in our work to 
end executions.  Bill is a founding board member of both Murder 
Victim families for Reconciliation and Murder Victims Families for 
Human Rights, and he is the Founder of the Journey of Hope ...from 
Violence to Healing - all groups led by murder victim family 
members.   He's a co-founder of the Abolitionist Action Committee and 
a founding member of the Advisory Board of Citizens United for 
Alternatives to the Death Penalty.  And so much more.  I suppose some 
might see as a bit of a problem Bill's pledge to God to walk through 
any door that opens to him in this work to abolish the death penalty, 
but I have yet to hear him complain, and he has clearly made his mark.

On January 19, 2008, Bill Pelke will be honored for another hat he 
has been wearing for the past few years - that of outgoing Chairman 
of the Board of Directors of the National Coalition to Abolish the 
Death Penalty.  I invite you to join me at that celebration in San 
Jose if you are able - details for the NCADP conference are 
here:  http://www.ncadp.org/events.cfm?event=1001

BUT IF YOU CANNOT COME, or even if you can, I want to make sure you 
have the opportunity to recognize Bill directly by taking out an ad 
in the awards banquet journal.  As the NCADP's 2004 Abolitionist of 
the Year, I can tell you that the dinner journal is the official 
keepsake of record for such an event.  The deadline for submission 
has been extended to January 4.  See the details at 
http://www.ncadp.org/events.cfm?event=1001&pg=11

Please note that the dinner journal is a fund raiser for the National 
Coalition - a group I believe in and upon whose board of directors I 
sit.  The smallest level is a business card size ad for $150.  If you 
can do that, or more, please do.  Don't hesitate - the deadline is a 
week from today.

AND, if you are part of an organization that has the capacity to 
place its own ad, please hop to it and make that happen.

BUT, if $150 is still too much, or if you want to be part of 
something bigger than a business card, I invite you to sign on to the 
ad being placed by CUADP and friends.  I have reserved the inside of 
the front cover for this purpose - the most prominent spot in the 
book.  If YOU would like to add your name to those expressing thanks 
and appreciation to Bill via the CUADP & Friends ad, please contact 
me immediately at abe at cuadp.org and I will give you the details on 
how to do so.  Don't delay - the deadline fast approaches.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

--abe

Abraham J. Bonowitz
Friend of Bill Pelke


"Talk is cheap.  It's the way we organize and use our lives
every day that tells what we believe in."
                                     -- Cesar E. Chavez