[CUADPUpdate] Abolition in Nebraska This Week?

[Abraham J. Bonowitz]

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Greetings All!

First, thanks so much to the many many many of 
you who sent congratulatory messages in response 
to my announcement that I've taken a position 
with the National Coalition to Abolish the Death 
Penalty.  I also appreciate the comments of those 
with familiarity with the housing situation in 
the DC area, and the few of you who suggested 
what should be done with CUADP.  To that point, I 
want to say that I am still exploring the 
issues.  There are some significant assets that I 
cannot in good conscience simply fritter away, 
and there are both some long-term debt still 
being paid off and also some assets (such as 
internet domains and web pages) that will require 
small but ongoing annual payments in order to 
keep them alive.  While I've begun to dabble in 
the work of NCADP and my work with NJADP 
continues for a few more weeks, and I am also 
dealing with finding new digs and moving, 
dispensing with CUADP will take some time.  One 
thing you will soon see is some liquidation sales 
of certain AbolitionWear items, for example.  More on all of this soon.

AS TO the subject line of this message, while the 
Governor has promised a veto, it looks like the 
Nebraska legislature is poised to pass an 
abolition bill in the coming days!  Stay tuned....

--abe

BELOW SEE
Nebraska Editorial
Arkansas JOB POSTING
NPR Interview


Abolish the death penalty in Nebraska
EDITORIAL: Lincoln Journal Star
Feb 10, 2008

Friday’s Nebraska Supreme Court decision leaves 
the state without a means of carrying out the death penalty.

The time is ripe to abolish capital punishment in the state.

Sen. Ernie Chambers’ bill, LB1063,  would allow 
two sentences for first-degree murder: life in 
prison or life in prison without the possibility 
of parole. The measure failed by just one vote last year.

With the advent of more DNA testing, errors in 
sending people to death row were shown to be far 
more frequent than most people believed.

Nationally, scores of people — including some on 
death row  ” have been cleared of their crimes. 
Some who were released on the basis of DNA 
testing were completely exonerated and actually were innocent.

The justice system isn’t perfect. That has been 
proved in the past and will be proved in the future.

Nebraskans are sharply split over the death 
penalty, with 51 percent in a 2007 Nebraskans 
Against the Death Penalty poll favoring repeal if 
accompanied by a sentence of life without parole 
and restitution to the victim’s estate.

Gov. Dave Heineman has said he would veto 
Chambers’ bill, which would take 30 votes in the Legislature to overcome.

That’s a steep order, but state senators need 
to consider what means of the death penalty would be viable.

Nebraska was the only state using the electric 
chair as the sole means of execution, and now its 
high court has ruled that method to be cruel and unusual punishment.

“Contrary to the state’s argument, there is 
abundant evidence that prisoners sometimes will 
retain enough brain functioning to consciously 
suffer the torture high voltage electric current 
inflicts on a human body,” Judge William 
Connolly wrote in the opinion for the court. 
“The evidence supports the district court’s 
statement that instantaneous and irreversible brain death is a myth.”

No doubt. Remember Florida, where one person 
being electrocuted bled from the nose and two 
others had flames shooting from their heads?

Photos of Allen Lee Davis’ execution in 1999 
show what happened as the switch was thrown.

According to a New York Times article, his face 
contorted and turned a bright purple, blood 
pouring from his nose. He was still alive when 
the power was turned off, witnesses reported, his 
chest rising and falling about 10 times before he was still.

Lethal injection has the same problem. The U.S. 
Supreme Court now is considering whether the most 
common drugs used to kill by lethal injection violate the Constitution.

Recent executions in Florida and Ohio using 
lethal injection took much longer than usual, 
with strong indications prisoners suffered severe 
pain in the process, The Associated Press reported.

The three-drug cocktail has appeared to cause 
some inmates to suffocate while conscious and 
paralyzed instead of stopping their hearts while 
they were knocked out, a report in the medical journal PLoS Medicine said.

“There is no humane way of forcibly killing 
someone,” editors of the journal wrote.

Instead of rushing to pass a new means of capital 
punishment, the Legislature should take this 
opportunity to finally get rid of the death penalty.

***********

JOB POSTING!!!

Full-time Position Available:  State Coordinator, Arkansas Death Penalty
Moratorium Campaign

The Arkansas Death Penalty Moratorium Campaign (ADPMC) seeks a motivated,
experienced organizer to lead our moratorium campaign.  ADPMC is a coalition
of civil rights, economic justice, and religious organizations with members
united in our efforts to convince the Governor to declare a moratorium on
the death penalty and appoint a study commission to review our current death
penalty system to see if it is accomplishing its objectives. The coordinator
will be based in an office in Little Rock but will have the option to work
from home as appropriate. The position will require some travel within the
state.

Duties:

          In collaboration with the Steering Committee, provide direct
assistance to the statewide campaign for a moratorium by:

°  Directing organizing, public education, and outreach efforts throughout
the state.

°  Developing messaging, framing, and other communications materials based
on statewide strategy.

°  Developing monthly, quarterly, and annual work plans and multi-year
campaign plans to make maximum effective use of the volunteer network.

°  Providing support for state legislative efforts.

°  Cultivating and maintaining relations with news media.

          Securing funding sources through grant writing and donor
development.

          Communicating and maintaining relationship with national groups
including the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Equal
Justice USA.

          Maintaining statewide communication through ADPMC database,
website, and newsletter.

          Performing regular office duties and coordinating volunteers.


Qualifications:

          Minimum two years experience with issue-based grassroots organizing
and/or campaign coordination.

          Excellent writing and oral communication skills, including
messaging and producing materials.

          Grassroots/donor fundraising experience (grant-writing a plus).

          PC literacy, including electronic communications, Microsoft
applications; desktop publishing, website.

          Comfortable working independently and being self-directed, while
staying regularly connected to the Steering Committee.

          Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups and communities.

          Commitment to a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of the
death penalty.

Salary/Benefits:  $20,000-30,000/year plus benefits.  Minimum commitment: 9
months; project funding secured for 9 months with potential to expand.  The
Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To Apply:  Send resume, cover letter, writing sample and three references to
Death Penalty Moratorium Campaign Steering Committee, 904 West Second
Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.

Target start date:  April 2008

Deadline for Application:  March 7, 2008

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


HECTOR BLACK tells his story at http://www.storycorps.net/

I've worked with Hector and the man is amazing....

--abe