URGENT Tx legislators need to hear from Texas constituents to

[nofurylike]

stop this wrongful execution!!

From Texas Moratorium Network:

Thank you very much to the almost 2,500 people who have written each of the Texas legislators about Kenneth Foster since we sent out the alert on Aug 8! Kenneth's execution can only be stopped if there is a large enough public outcry.

Now, we need people who live in Texas to follow-up with phone calls to the offices of their state representative and state senator. It is vital that the legislators hear on the phone from their own constituents.

Please act today. The execution is scheduled for Aug 30. The Board of Pardons and Paroles will announce its decision by Aug 28. We want to get the clemency letter from the legislators to the Board and Governor by this Thursday.

We are hoping to be able to get as many legislators as possible to sign on to a letter this week asking Governor Perry and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant Kenneth Foster clemency.

Legislators can not directly stop an execution, but they can use their influence and access to Governor Perry to influence his decision and they can write a clemency letter to the Board of Pardons and Paroles. So, please, if you live in Texas, go here http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/ and look up your state representative and state senator. Call them on the phone, identify yourself as a constituent, say you do not think that Texas should execute Kenneth Foster, who everyone agrees did not kill anyone or intend anyone to be killed.

Ask them to sign on to a clemency letter or to write one of their own. You could mention that executing people who haven't actually killed anyone, by using a statute like the "Law of Parties", is a great miscarriage of justice and casts doubt on the entire Texas death penalty system. Also mention your sympathy for the family of the victim, Michael LaHood, whose actual killer, Mauriceo Brown, has already been executed.

If you are calling a state representative, ask him or her to contact Rep Dutton's office about signing on to the clemency letter that Dutton is drafting.

If your representative is Dutton, Farrar, Naishtat , Rodriguez or Burnam, you do not need to call them. They already have stated their support for clemency or written their own letters.


You can also send an email to Governor Perry
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/tmn/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12310&t=kenneth.dwt
and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which is also being sent to members of the Texas Legislature. Use the numbers below to call and leave a voice mail for Governor Perry saying you want him to stop the execution of Kenneth Foster.

***

also, The 400th Texas execution is scheduled for this Wednesday, August 22. Contact Perry
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact
to protest the 400th execution and all the ones that preceded it.

Citizen's Opinion Hotline: [phone] (for Texas callers)

Citizen's Assistance and Opinion Hotline: [phone]

(for Austin, Texas and out-of-state callers)

Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: [phone]

(office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST)

***

ALSO,
Attend the Emergency Rally to Save Kenneth Foster this Tuesday Aug 21 at 5 PM at the Capitol in Austin

Sponsored by Kenneth's family, friends and supporters in the Save Kenneth Foster Campaign.

Gather at 11th and Congress at 5pm on Tuesday, Aug 21. We will march to the Governor's mansion to make our voices heard and demand a stop to Foster's execution.

Now that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied Kenneth's appeal, we must ratchet up the pressure on Gov. Perry and the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Perry's phone number is above. You can also fax a letter to the Board of Pardons and Paroles at [phone].

Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Section
8610 Shoal Creek Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78757

The State of Texas intends to execute Kenneth Foster in August 30, despite the fact that he did not murder anyone. Unlike any other state in this country, Texas utilizes a unique statute which allows the State to subject a person to death even though he did not kill, intend to kill, help or encourage anyone to do so.

It is urgent that anyone and everyone concerned with stopping this injustice from taking place comes to an emergency rally in Austin this Tuesday to stand with Kenneth, his wife, his daughter, his family and friends.

Let's demand of Perry "Your Law of Parties goes too far--Don't execute a man for driving a car!"

Donate to the Save Kenneth Foster Campaign. Donations can be sent to:

To Save Kenneth Foster, #831766
Velocity Credit Union
P.O. Box 1089
Austin, TX 78767-9947

The State of Texas intends to execute Kenneth Foster on August 30, despite the fact that he did not murder anyone. Only four states across the country have laws that enable prosecutors to hold those merely present at the scene of a crime legally responsible. Texas is the only state that applies this statute in capital cases, making it the only place in the United States where a person can be factually innocent of murder and still face the death penalty.

***

all this is from an email sent me by the Texas Moratorium Network
http://www.texasmoratorium.org/

PLEASE re-post, and spread the word around!!

thank you!!

peace

[emlev]

1. K&R!

Thank you, NoFuryLike! This is very important. Absolutely horrid that Texas is planning to execute a man everyone knows is innocent of the murder!

[nofurylike]

2. thank you so much, emlev! eom

[bonito]

3. K&R

[nofurylike]

5. thank you, bonito! eom

[sonias]

4. I've mailed my letters and called the Governor too

And if you live in the Austin Area

*** Please forward and circulate ***
THIS TUESDAY 8/21/07
EMERGENCY RALLY FOR KENNETH FOSTER, JR. !
ALL OUT--­-ONLY 11 DAYS TO SAVE AN INNOCENT MAN FROM EXECUTION

Tuesday, August 21
Meet at 5:00 PM in front of the Texas State Capitol
11th and Congress, Austin, Texas

Now that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied Kenneth's
appeal, we must ratchet up the pressure on Gov. Perry and the Board of
Pardons and Paroles.

The State of Texas intends to execute Kenneth Foster in August 30,
despite the fact that he did not murder anyone. Unlike any other
state in this country, Texas utilizes a unique statute which allows
the State to subject a person to death even though he did not kill,
intend to kill, help or encourage anyone to do so.

It is urgent that anyone and everyone concerned with stopping this
injustice from taking place comes to an emergency rally in Austin this
Tuesday to stand with Kenneth, his wife, his daughter, his family and
friends.


Let's demand of Perry "Your Law of Parties goes too far--Don't execute
a man for driving a car!"

------Message from Austin chapter of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty.

Sonia

[nofurylike]

6. thank you, sonias! and for posting that! i wish i'd known sooner,

for the austin area folks.

please spread the word to write legislators!


peace

[man4allcats]

7. Done. Thanks for posting.

Unfortunately, Texas has always been too quick on the trigger. Whatever one thinks about the death penalty, the fact is this guy committed no murder and everyone knows it. It's hard for me to believe that even Texas would be brash enough to do this, but we'll see.

[nofurylike]

8. thank you, anotheryellowdog! it is unbelievable, and crossing a

crucially important line.
we in this country are being tested in many ways, to see if we will really stand up against such obvious outrages. tested, as in 'silence is assent,' by which they can try anything, and if we do not stop them, they know they can do even worse. this is an era of pushing in every way!

yes, you folks have your hands full fighting the death penalty in texas, don't you? i sympathize, and support any way i can.

so, you're texan. will you please consider posting this?:

http://www.protest.net/HIMC/calendrome.cgi?span=event&ID=822097&day=22&month=&year=2007&state_values=

from that page about an event on wednesday:

August 22nd

The death of Johnny Connor is scheduled for tonight.
If there is no stay, this will be the 400th execution in Texas since resumption of the death penalty in 1982. This milestone in Texas history must be condemned!

5:00-6:15 PM, Houston's Old Hanging Tree, corner of Capitol and Bagby downtown (behind Bayou Place and across from the Hobby Center) - join in the press conference and protest.

Sponsored by several groups, including Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, 8th Annual March to Stop Executions Committee (meets 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7 PM at the S.H.A.P.E. Communtiy Center at 3815 Live Oak at Alabama. Get involved in the struggle for justice. Help abolish the racist and anti-poor death penalty. We need your help, your participation, and your energy. Join us, please. For more info: Brother King at 713-521-0384 or Gloria at 713-503-2633.
***

thank you!


peace and solidarity

[man4allcats]

9. I will pass this around as much as I can.

August 22nd 2007

PROTEST 400th TEXAS EXECUTION in recent history
Houston, TX

Location Houston's Old Hanging Tree (Capitol and Bagby)

Speaker several

Phone Contact 713-503-2633

Topic / Issue Death Penalty

Sponsor 8th Annual March to Stop Executions Committee

The death of Johnny Connor is scheduled for tonight.
If there is no stay, this will be the 400th execution in Texas since resumption of the death penalty in 1982. This milestone in Texas history must be condemned!

5:00-6:15 PM, Houston's Old Hanging Tree, corner of Capitol and Bagby downtown (behind Bayou Place and across from the Hobby Center) - join in the press conference and protest.



Sponsored by several groups, including Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, 8th Annual March to Stop Executions Committee (meets 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7 PM at the S.H.A.P.E. Communtiy Center at 3815 Live Oak at Alabama. Get involved in the struggle for justice. Help abolish the racist and anti-poor death penalty. We need your help, your participation, and your energy. Join us, please. For more info: Brother King at 713-521-0384 or Gloria at 713-503-2633.

[nofurylike]

10. thank you! please do pass it around!! peace! eom

[sonias]

11. EU urges Texas to halt executions

AAS article 8/21/07
EU urges Texas to halt executions

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The European Union on Tuesday urged the governor of Texas to halt executions and introduce a moratorium on capital punishment in the United States' busiest death penalty state.

In an unusual direct appeal, the EU said Texas Gov. Rick Perry must "exercise all powers vested in his office" to halt the impending 400th execution since Texas resumed carrying out death sentences in 1982.

The execution of Johnny Ray Conner is scheduled for this week. He is to die for the shooting death of a Houston grocery store owner during an attempted holdup in 1998,

"The European Union notes with great regret the upcoming execution in the State of Texas," the bloc said in a statement.

Sonia

[nofurylike]

13. thank you sonias. wow, that EU spoke out on this. wow, that

perry's spokes#%&!, robert black, said what he did:

"The reason our forefathers fought a war 230 years ago was to throw off the yoke of a European monarch so that we may have the freedom of self-determination," Black said. "Texans long ago decided that the death penalty is a just and appropriate punishment for the most horrible crimes committed against our citizens."


"long ago decided." yep. along with so many other things dear to perry's bigot-heart.

sigh

thank you for trying, EU!!


peace and solidarity

[emlev]

12. Quick question: best action for those of us not in Texas?

It may be in your post, but on a couple of quick reads, I'm not seeing it.
Maybe post it here with a subject line something like "What to do if you're not in Texas" or something?

Thanks for being on it!

Later!

[nofurylike]

14. yes, thank you, emlev! : What to do if you're not in Texas

everyone can really do all of the actions in the OP, except call the numbers for texas residents. but it looks like the best thing everyone can do is this:

-snip-

You can also send an email to Governor Perry

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/tmn/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12310&t=kenneth.dwt

and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which is also being sent to members of the Texas Legislature ... saying you want him to stop the execution of Kenneth Foster.

-snip-

***

i will post this in the GD xpost, too. again, thank you for calling this to my attention. i see i wasn't clear on that.


peace and solidarity!

[emlev]

15. Thank you again, NoFuryLike! will do.

[nofurylike]

16. great!

:hi:

[emlev]

17. Why do you bonk yourself in the head like that when you wave?

:silly:

[nofurylike]

18. o my, good timing for a much-needed laugh!

:hi: bonk bonk

bonk

:silly:

[sonias]

19. Pictures from Austin Indy Media on rally for Kenneth

Austin Indy Media pictures of the rally for Kenneth Foster

And this blog post from Grits for Breakfast

Grits 8/23/07
The 400
Last night's execution of Johnny Ray Conner was the 400th since Texas resumed the death penalty.

In theory I don't oppose the death penalty, but I oppose the way we carry it out in Texas. It's supposed to be reserved for the worst of the worst, but instead it's applied arbitrarily to those with crappy lawyers, no money, and disproportionately depending what county you live in.

Let's face it: There aren't any rich guys on death row. The death penalty in Texas is the poor man's justice. Or really, the poor and unlucky. Even in Texas, the nation's most prolific capital punisher, less than 2% of murderers receive the death penalty.

Sonia