The Nashville TCASK Chapter held a terrific write-a-thon yesterday evening. On a dark and stormy night, 20 committed activists, some long time TCASK stalwarts and some first-tie participants, gathered at Fido’s (a fun coffee shop for anyone who is looking) and produced more than 60 hand written letters to state policy makers calling for fairness and accuracy in our death penalty system. Policy-makers heard from their constituents’ own pens the need to support legislation for a complete study of the death penalty system and a moratorium on executions until such a study can be completed!

And it wasn’t just in Nashville. In Sewanee, a first time write-a-thon site, 8 writers alerted their elected officials of the need for a study! TCASK write-a-thons were also held in Memphis, Jackson, Murfreesboro, Crossville, and Knoxville! Not to mention satellite events at several churches and schools.

And, of course, we’re not done. If you didn’t get a chance to join a write-a-thon last night, this weekend would be a great time to sit down and write to your State Senator and Representative. You can find them, with your 9 digit zip code here. Then tell them:

• You are a constituent.
• Our death penalty system is not functioning properly. It unfairly targets the poor, racial minorities, and the mentally ill.
• We even risk executing innocent people.
• Regardless of a person’s belief regarding the morality of capital punishment, we can all agree that our system should be fair and accurate.
• Ask them to support a complete study of the death penalty (Senate Bill 1911 / House Bill 2162)

For more tips, legislator specific info, or sample letters just email alex@tcask.org or give us a call at (615) 256-3906.

And check out the awesome pictures of last night’s event taken by Harry Simpson, TCASK’s resident photographer here.

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 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 disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness 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 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.

For everyone who missed it, the Paul House case was featured on Fox News at 9:00 on Wednesday night. The story featured an interview with Paul House himself, his mother Joyce, and State Representative Mike Turner, who is sponsoring a resolution calling on the Governor to pardon House. It also featured the Union County D.A. once again making the claim that there was “attempted rape” since, with DNA evidence conclusively proving that House did not rape Carolyn Muncey, the prosecution is without any legitimate theory of the crime.

You can view the story here. This kind of attention can only be good as we seek to bring light to an incredible injustice.

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 health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction 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 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.

As I mentioned a few days ago, Alex and I attended a day long workshop this week on grant writing. We gathered with others working in the nonprofit world to learn about meeting the constant need for funding. One of the other participants in the class, Michelle Cochran, is the Executive Director of an organization called Nashville SEES. Her organization works to increase the pay and training of child care workers, who currenty make somewhere around an average of $16,000 per year. She and I discussed the fact that the ages of 0-5 years are the most formative for a child’s development. However, in our country where people are constantly talking about how to care for children, we don’t put our money where our mouth is when it comes to early childhood–arguably the most important time in a child’s life.

The whole conversation got me thinking about how backward we often do things. We are spending millions of dollars over and above the cost of imprisoning people for life in order to maintain the death penalty. Many of the people that we are paying all this money to execute come from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, and mental illness–often experienced during early childhood. Bills are being introduced all over the country to expand the death penalty to include repeat child sex offenders, which of course, will cost extraordinarily more money and only add to the burden of an already broken system.

What would our society look like if we ended the death penalty and used the millions of dollars saved for early childhood education, better training and salaries for early childhood teachers, parenting support groups, and prenatal care? It seems we often wait too long to intervene in the lives of children. The earlier we begin to enhance their development, the better off we all are.

I applaud Michelle and others who are working to ensure that children don’t end up victimized, mistreated, and for some, caught up in the criminal justice system. How many on Tennessee’s death row would not be there had they had such structured, nurturing early childhood care? Why do we continue to pour money into a system that spends so much of our state’s resources only after someone has already committed a heinous crime instead of using those same resources much earlier in his/her life, perhaps creating a different outcome for everyone? Research shows that the death penalty has no deterrent effect. I believe that the best deterrent for ending violent crime may be offering young children, in the beginning of their lives, another way to experience the world around them–a way that is consistent, nurturing, and encouraging. Someday, perhaps, we will learn.

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 malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction 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 soundness 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.

There is so much going on at TCASK that it has been difficult finding the time to write. Alex has been on the road to Memphis yesterday and heading to Jackson tomorrow. Over the weekend, Kathryn Lea and I staffed a TCASK booth at the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee’s annual Mission Conference all day Saturday, and then, I led a Sunday School class at First Presbyterian in Hendersonville on Sunday. Yesterday, I furiously worked to complete our application for the placement of a Jesuit Volunteer with TCASK; and, today, both Alex and I have been in an all day meeting learning to be better grant writers. Alex is currently on the Hill…okay…I am out of breath from just writing about all that has been going on!

But the week is young. Hopefully you already know that this Thursday, March 1, is a big day for abolitionists around the world as it marks International Death Penalty Abolition Day, celebrating the anniversary of the date in 1847 in which the state of Michigan officially became the first English-speaking territory in the world to abolish capital punishment. It is a day to remember the victims of violent crime and their survivors; it is a day to remember those killed by state sanctioned violence – guilty or not- and their survivors; and it is a day for intensified education and action for alternatives to the death penalty.

TCASK will be hosting Write-a-Thons all over the state on March 1, asking lawmakers to support both a moratorium and a study bill. We will write in order to thank the Governor for the current moratorium, to explain why the moratorium needs to continue in order for a full study to be conducted, and to ask the Governor to pardon Paul House. Some TCASK chapters will also be writing to their city councils asking for resolutions in support of a moratorium and study. Hopefully, no matter where you live in the state, a write-a-thon is happening somewhere near you: Dyersburg, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Sewanee, Knoxville, and Bristol.

If you are not located near one of these areas, please write letters from wherever you are. A letter writing toolkit is available to you on the website. Get your writing hands warmed up, and let’s generate the most letters ever this year to let our state leaders know that the time is now for halting the death penalty in Tennessee.

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 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 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 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, hearing were held in the Maryland legislature regarding Maryland’s use of capital punishment. The hearings included testimony from exonerees including Kirk Bloodsworth and Ray Krone as well as other national voices. But, what is perhaps more inspiring, was the fact that Marylands new Governor, Martin O’Malley (seriously that’s a real picture – talk about a cool dude as Governor!), testified before House and Senate panels in favor of repealing capital punishment in Maryland. That a newly seated Governor would be willing to take such a courageous stand for what is right so early in his term is a wonderful reminder, for me, of how lucky we are to have some politicians who will take a stand for what they believe is right.

Here in Tennessee, we are blessed with Representatives like Larry Turner, a man who believes the death penalty to be unjust and works hard to bring a true sense of justice, not vengeance, to Tennessee’s laws. We are also lucky to have many thoughtful and principled legislators. People like Senator Doug Jackson, who, while not opposing capital punishment on principle, is willing to use his political capital to sponsor legislation creating a study commission to examine the current injustices that plague our capital punishment system. When you have a moment, particularly if you live in Memphis or Dickson, Hickman, or Giles Counties, write to Representative Turner or Senator Jackson and thank them for their principled leadership.

And read more about Maryland’s extraordinary development at the NCADP blog.

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 health 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 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 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.

Perhaps this story is more appropriate for Mother’s Day than for President’s Day, but it is one which needs to be heard, regardless of what day it is. I recently read this article about two mothers ensnared by the death penalty machine, both seeking its repeal in Maryland..

One mother, Carolyn Leming, almost lost a son to execution, convicted of a crime which he didn’t commit. Another mother, Vicki Schieber, had a daughter who was brutally raped and murdered. She did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty in her daughter’s case, knowing that the appeals process would only drag out her pain as she relived the horror again and again. Schieber supports a repeal of the death penalty so other families don’t experience such prolonged suffering and so that resources, now used for executions, can instead be used to actually help victims. Carolyn Leming is opposed to the death penalty because, in spite of all of his appeals, her son sat on death row for 10 years for something he didn’t do.

The story highlights two painful sides of yet another flaw in the death penalty system: without lengthy appeals, innocent people will be executed (and probably still are);and yet, with lengthy appeals, victim’s family members are constantly reliving the nightmare while state financial resources are drained. The death penalty did not alleviate the pain of these two women but compounded it. In this system, no one benefits.

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 soundness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction 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.

Well there’s been so much going on at the capitol and around the country, that I haven’t even had the opportunity to report on my two day trip to East Tennessee earlier this week. And it was a terrific trip, so I do want to share a little bit.

I spent time in two cities in East TN, Sewanee and Knoxville, and had great visits to each. In Sewanee, I held back to back lobby trainings at 4:30 and 7:00 in the evening (yeah, it was a little tiring). These trainings were set up by Leslie Lytle, and all hats off to her! We trained 14 new citizen lobbyists against the death penalty, a number of whom have signed up to take part in our March 1st write-a-thons and Justice Day on the Hill on March 27th! All from an area where we really haven’t worked previously. Hats off to Leslie!

As for Knoxville, what a day on Tuesday! I had six meetings, with everyone from college professors at Maryville College and the UT Law School to folks at different churches to NASW members. Six meetings and then a lobby training in one day is a lot, but it was extremely useful. Because organizing is all about forming relationships, and we need to form them all across the state. So these face to fact meetings are essential to building strong connections, to making new contacts (I came away from these meetings with a very long list of new contacts to follow up with – so long, in fact, that I haven’t gotten to all of them yet!), and to bringing new ideas and energy to local affiliates (there’s an entire church youth group that is planning on attending Justice Day on the Hill for instance).

So get set, East Tennessee, because TCASK activists, energized and empowered, are coming at ya! And I am pumped up!

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 disfunction 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 very 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.

As anyone who has read last night’s TCASK Abolition Update already knows, State Representative Mike Turner has submitted a resolution calling on Governor Phil Bredesen to issue a full pardon to Paul House. Representative Turner has communicated with our office a number of times, and we are thrilled to have him make this just and conscientious call.

Representative Turner’s courageous move has received coverage on WPLN this morning as well as in a terrific story by the Nashville City Paper. For a taste:

After reading the story, call your legislator and ask them to sign on to Representative Turner’s Resolution as a co-sponsor.

You can find your legislator here and then call them at their state offices. With your help, we will be able to get an innocent man home to his mother.

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 malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong health 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 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.

I read this morning that yesterday, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a bill which would repeal the death penalty in that state, replacing it with life without the possibility of parole. The bill must now go to the Senate where similar legislation did not make it out of the Judiciary committee in 2005. Kathleen MacRae and other abolitionists in New Mexico got this bill passed by making it a victim centered bill. In other words, a significant portion of the money which will be saved by abolishing the death penalty in the state would then be used to support victims. The hope is that instead of investing in a failed death penalty system which is extremely costly, arbitrary, and unfair, the state will use its resources to support those who have suffered the most–the victims of violent crime.

Too often in discussions concerning the death penalty, those who are against state executions are falsely accused of also being against victims. What is happening with this bill shows the fallacy of this argument. In fact, the abolitionists who are fighting the death penalty in New Mexico are demonstrating that society could be and should be doing much more for those who have suffered horrific violence and loss. How does the death penalty support victims? By taking another life…then what? As Renny Cushing of Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights says, “Healing is not an event. It is a process.” And, as a person of faith, I don’t believe that any act of violence can offer us healing, only God can do that. In the end, healing is a journey which cannot be furthered with the murder of someone else. Such an act should be called what it is–revenge–not closure or healing.

I will look forward to hearing more news from New Mexico and to take inspiration from the fine work that abolitionists are doing in that state, not only to end the death penalty but to support all victims of violent crime.

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 health problem such as soul 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 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.

Thanks to Dwight Lewis of The Tennessean who again is highlighting the ongoing problems with the death penalty–this time focusing on lethal injection. Lewis recalls that last year, now retired State Supreme Court Justice Adolpho A. Birch asked the Governor to suspend the use of lethal injection in Tennessee, citing problems with the procedure. However, the Governor finally took notice only earlier this month after a hearing had been called by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger, who wanted state officials to bring forth the state’s procedures.

When the Attorney General sat down and looked at the procedures, seemingly important matters, such as the amount of chemicals to be used in the execution, were lacking. The Governor is quoted as saying, “From what I can tell, there was nothing wrong with the two executions (that have been carried out in the state since 1960); it was simply a matter of stuff that ought to be spelled out in great detail and very carefully so there are no mistakes.”

Good luck on the “no mistakes” part. As far as I know, nothing or no one is immune to making mistakes, particularly in a large, complex institution like state government. Will mistakes continue to be made no matter how the state dresses up the protocol? Absolutely. Will mistakes continue to be made in a system which sometimes sends innocent people to death row? Just ask Paul House. When are we going to stop spending so much time and money on a system that has failed and continues to fail? Don’t we have better things to do?

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 dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction 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 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.