Yes, that’s right! TCASK has finally settled into our new office in Holy Name Catholic Church and boy are we excited! We have a new phone number (615-256-3906) and a separate fax line. But the best part is certainly that we have a large open space in which to work that encourages communication and collaboration amongst the staff in the office. Being able to easily talk and share ideas (which we couldn’t do in our last office – two separate offices) while not being cramped together (as we were in the office before that) is really a much nicer way to work. And, of course, Randy really gets to complain about my predilection for the Indigo Girls now.

And, as pictured above, we have a nice round conference table where we can eat meals and have our bi-weekly staff meetings comfortably. We’re even able to add another table and have small group meetings in our office now. We never could have done that before. And indeed the new office sports five work stations, a must as we begin to expand our staff, including our summer intern Kate Adcock (pictured above at the file cabinet).

So our apologies for being out of touch for a few days, I have personally spent more time on hold with BellSouth than I ever wanted to, but I hope that everyone feels that it was worth it, because we certainly do. Our new office is much better suited to help us git ‘er done!

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong heartiness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

…and this is from an associated press story this afternoon…

“The state Court of Criminal Appeals was asked Monday to allow DNA testing on evidence from the scene of the murder that death row inmate Sedley Alley was convicted of committing in 1985. Barry Scheck, co-founder of the nonprofit legal clinic called the Innocence Project, asked a three-judge panel of the appeals court in Jackson to overturn a Memphis judge’s ruling that blocks the testing. Scheck said that state lawyers who have argued that Alley was properly convicted of murdering a 19-year-old woman in Shelby County have no way of knowing what such tests will find.”

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile malfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be so dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

new motions were filed after judge gasaway ruled that reid did not qualify for a mental competency hearing…this is from the tennessean on saturday…

“Two motions to stay convicted killer Paul Dennis Reid’s June 28 execution have been filed by Reid’s attorneys, at the request of his sister Linda Martiniano. In one motion, Reid’s defenders contend he suffers from a neurological disorder that has left him with a “chronic, schizophrenia-like psychosis. “The second motion claims “Reid has persistent delusions about government controlling his life and the legal process.”

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong heartiness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

OK, I know I just posted, but this is too good. The Nashville Scene has come out again on the side of truth and justice with a great article about Paul House in this week’s edition. Last year, the Scene did a terrific investigative piece on the House case and really tore the state’s exceedingly flimsy case to shreds. This piece is a quick follow up after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in House’s favor earlier this week.

Read the piece here and do enjoy: http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Columns/Garrigan/2006/06/15/SCOTUS_Gets_It_Right/index.shtml

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong heartiness problem such as soul trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness conditions that can be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

No, I’m not talking about graduation from any particular institution of learning, although congratulations to everyone who has graduated in the past months. Instead I’m talking about the maturation and development of student leaders right here in the Tennessee abolition movement.

A few days ago I sat down with the working group on the TCASK Student Caucus, and we focused particularly on the Tennessee Student Conference Against the Death Penalty, which will be held at MTSU on Saturday September 9th. I’ve come to expect a fairly high level of work from these students, but they blew me away again. In about an hour and a half at Bongo Java we came up with the full structure of the conference as well as the general outline for the caucus as a whole. The students even began planning the workshops that they will give – and I’ve gotta tell ya, these workshops sound terrific!

To begin with, these are accomplished students who have a lot of experience and skills to offer in the areas of campus organizing, fundraising, event planning, the moratorium campaign, and organizing in high schools. These students have already successfully formed TCASK chapters on their campuses, raised sometimes thousands of dollars, brought Juan Melendez, Bud Welch, and many other incredible speakers to Tennessee, and brought groups of students to TCASK lobby day and literally wowed legislators. I can learn from them, and, on September 9th, we’ll all have the opportunity to do so!

On another exciting note, we’ve finally received our budget for the Student conference, and we now can guarantee that we’ll be able to afford to bring an exciting keynote speaker, like Juan Melendez or Ray Crone, as well as anti-death penalty experts from Equal Justice USA and hopefully a Tennessee State Legislator as well!

So if you’re a high school of college student in Tennessee, mark your calendars for September 9th! And give Alex or Kate in the TCASK office a call to learn how you can become more involved in the TCASK Student Caucus. Students are preparing to become a more centralized and solidified force in the abolition movement. It’s graduation day!

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong heartiness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be so dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

it’s willie nelson who memorialized the song on the road again but it’s the tennessee coalition to abolish state killing that walks the walk – in two different ways…

the most common reference is, of course, to our grassroots outreach strategy… the lil’ jesuit dude and myself travel the highways and byways of tennessee to meet people who want to learn about the death penalty and ultimately empower them to organize against capital punishment in their own communities – in a way that supports our long-term strategic plan to end executions in this state…

but the second reference is to our 3rd office move in ~16 months … this weekend we are moving into an expansive office space in the parish center of holy name church in east nashville…a church where our good friend charlie strobel was seated as pastor back in 1977…

we moved into an office in the nations, a west nashville neighborhood, february 2005…we moved next door into a space with nashville’s truth and reconciliation project (tarp) in february of this year … and we are packing to move even as this is being composed…

we are thankful to sean siple, founder of tarp, for accommodating our needs over the past 16 months and we feel blessed that the parish council of holy name has welcomed tcask with open arms…we are looking forward to getting settled in and to have you stop by and volunteer your services…

we may be out of sorts for a few days so read some backlogs from one of the best blogs in tennessee and we’ll be back after we unpack at 508 main street…

peace out – <3

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be so dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer carried the following op-ed piece, written by Lorry Post. As Tennessee moves at break neck speed toward executing two men in a single night (June 28th), as we think about Paul House still sitting on death row after 21 years (although with a new sense of hope), I think we should take some time to reflect on the true effects of capital punishment. So read, reflect, pray, and think about the following statement:

Death Penalty is Unfair –
To Victims’ Families

By Lorry Post

My wife, June, and I are among family members of murder victims who believe life in prison without parole is more just than the death penalty.

Those of us who have endured a loved one’s murder need support and justice. We don’t want excuses when the system doesn’t deliver, and we certainly don’t want to be used to promote someone else’s agenda.

Unfortunately, we often are. But some answers may soon be on the horizon.

A legislatively mandated commission to study the death penalty in New Jersey embarked on its work last week.

The commission is looking at whether the death penalty is worth maintaining in the face of mounting concerns about the risk of executing the innocent.

I hope the commission will ask a key question: How can our criminal justice system best accomplish the ends of public safety, punishment, and the needs of victims?

My wife and I know firsthand the tragedy of losing a family member to a killer.
In 1988, my daughter, Lisa, was stabbed to death by her husband in Georgia. Her slaying took her away not only from my wife and me, but tragically from my granddaughter, who has grown up without her mother and with her father in prison.

Living through this ordeal – Lisa’s death, the trial, and life without my daughter – has driven home the harsh realities of our criminal justice system.

More than anything, victims’ families need emotional, and sometimes financial, support from their community.

In New Jersey there are systems in place, but, as often is the case, funding is limited.
The death penalty, meanwhile, has cost the state a quarter of a billion dollars more than life without parole would have cost since 1982, according to a 2005 study by New Jersey Policy Perspective.

This has diverted funds from victims’ services and from critical areas of law enforcement.
Some say victims’ families want “closure.” There is no closure when someone you love is murdered. But there should be justice and certainty – certainty that the right person has been convicted and sent to prison and certainty that when the trial is over, it’s really over.

The death penalty accomplishes neither of these goals.

As we have learned in recent years, the wrong person too often is sentenced to death, and according to surveys most Americans believe innocent people have been executed.

What’s worse is that the death penalty prolongs the tragedy for victims’ families, with seemingly endless appeals and high-profile legal proceedings.

It can be decades before a killer is executed, and when that occurs, the lawyers, the politicians and especially reporters painfully rehash the entire case. The victims are forced to live through the ordeal once again.

Some suggest expediting the process to make it more amenable to the concerns of victims’ families and to save the state’s resources. But the Catch-22 inherent in the death penalty is that if we speed up the process, we increase the risk of executing the innocent.

Cutting costs and time would mean cutting corners in the investigation and trial phase or accelerating the inmate’s appeals. Both are sure-fire ways to ensure that even more mistakes are made.

The death penalty is about exorbitant costs, unacceptable risks, fatal flaws and gross inequities. Excuses for keeping this broken system are running out.

Lorry Post is the founder and former executive director of New Jerseyans for Alternatives

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be so dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Yesterday, Circuit Court Judge John Gasaway rejected the request, by Paul Reid’s sister, Linda Martiano, to be named as her brother’s next friend. While Gasaway conceded that Ms. Martiano had the necessary relationship with Reid to be named next friend, he claimed that the petitioners had not made a prima facie showing of mental incompetence.

Now, I’ll be the first person to tell you that I am not a lawyer, and I don’t understand all the intricacies of the law (I still get nervous when I have to pronounce “prima facie” to be completely honest), but I’ve read the judge’s opinion as well as the affidavits submitted on Reid’s behalf. Particularly, I’d call attention to the affidavit of George W. Woods, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist. Dr. Woods is a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a board member of the Executive Committee of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, and on the advisory board of the Health Law Institute at DePaul University. In other words, this guy knows his stuff.

In Dr. Woods’ affidavit, he states uncategorically, that “Mr. Reid is presently incompetent under the analysis required by and of those standards.” He explains that Reid suffers from paranoid delusions (the “military government” is controlling all the people around him, manipulating his behavior, and torturing him with “scientific technology”)which make him incapable of making rational decisions. Reid believes that his current counsel are members of the military government conspiracy. Additionally, Woods explains, Reid experiences memory problems, “repeats” of odd deja vu moments.

Now this is a sworn statement from a medical professional in the highest standing in his field. Dr. Woods’ states, more than five times, that Reid is incompetent. So how did Judge Gasaway respond?

With a complete rejection! Apparently, even though Dr. Woods repeatedly describes Reid’s symptoms and problems, he does not specifically refer to Reid being asked about his legal options and therefore does not prove that Reid is incompetent of understanding his current legal situation! So, even though the guy believes that his lawyers are part of a vast governmental conspiracy against him, even though he thinks that execution is the only way to escape from the torture of the military technology, even though he has problems remembering, and even though he has persistent delusions which he holds to unshakeably, he might still be able to make rational decisions about his legal case according to Gasaway!

The fact that the state is still proceeding in its attempt to execute Paul Reid on June 28th is a tragedy. But the fact that our legal systems can even make the claim that this man is mentally competent to make any decision is a farce. It simply demonstrates how out of undeveloped our legislative understanding of mental illness is in comparison to our scientific understanding. It is past time that we, as a society, recognize this serious error and stop the legal killing of the mentally ill!

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

It’s almost the close of the day, the time when the hard working people of Nashville finish their work days and head home. They sit down to dinner with their families watch the evening news and sleep the peaceful sleep of the righteous, waking up the next morning to get back to their busy lives. Now, it’s a rare occasion indeed when we at TCASK leave the office by 5:00 or even 6:00, but we do still like to have a good night’s sleep, which is why I’m a little upset at the City Paper, because there will be no sleep for me tonight. Not with the horror stories they print scaring me out of my socks!

No! It’s not a story about the rising crime rate (although that’s certainly not a good sign) or even about Barry Bonds. no, the story that caught my eye this morning, causing me to shriek with horror right there on the number 10 bus, was the news that current Attorney General Paul Summers is considering applying for a seat on the Tennessee Supreme Court! Read the entire story here: http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=9&screen=news&news_id=50385

Now the Supreme Court hears all the appeals of inmates on death row and sets execution dates – they’ve currently sentenced Paul Dennis Reid and Sedley Alley to be executed on the same night. Whatever else Paul Summers has done as AG, he has been an abolitionist’s nightmare. In 2000, he asked the Supreme Court to place a conservator on Gregory Thompson to medicate him since Thompson was “incapable of making rational decisions.” Then in 2004, while still admitting that Thompson was severely mentally ill, Summers asked that the conservator be removed so he could seek an execution date. He just wanted Thompson medicated to make him sane enough to kill. When Sedley Alley’s execution was stayed a few weeks ago to allow for the courts to settle the question of DNA testing, Summers responded by requesting a date of June 1st (the first day after the 15 day reprieve) be set, even though this would never allow the ajudication and testing to take place.

There are more stories I could tell, but I think that what is clear is that, if selected to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, Paul Summers would be extremely harsh to the men and women sentenced to death. It is unlikely that he would be willing to hear legitimate complaints or examine serious issues of innocence. Would Paul Summers care that DNA testing could prove the innocence of Sedley Alley? Would he allow a new hearing for Paul Gregory House? Would he care that Erskine Johnson (a black man) was sentenced to death by an all white jury in Shelby County which is 42% African-American?

The answer gives me nightmares.

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile malfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness conditions that can be so dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile malfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

the u.s. supreme court ruling in the house case is here and a washington post article on the case is here … below is the tcask press release just being issued (and will be posted on the tcask web site tonight) …

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile disfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as soul trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile malfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be highly dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.