Strange Fire the Silence in Shabbat

An interpretation of SILENCE as offering for the commemoration of SHABBAT

The traditional synagogue reading from the Torah for this Shabbat, the one that is coming close upon us, includes the passage in which two sons of the High Priest, Aaron, bring "strange fire" as an offering to God, and are consumed in an instant as if they had become the burnt offering. (Lev. 10)

I am sending you a brief note that casts an interesting light on this fiery tale. It comes from Rabbi Phyllis Berman, who is co-author with me of a couple of books (A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: The Jewish Life-Spiral as a Spiritual Path and Tales of Tikkun: New Jewish Stories to Heal the Wounded World and is also my life-partner. She writes:

Though most traditional commentators focus on what Nadav and Abihu did "wrong" in offering "strange fire" that caused them to be consumed, I go in a completely different direction.

I think about "strange", that which is unfamiliar or unknown, like a "stranger" or an idea before it's become popular. I think about how innovators -- in science, in spirituality, in music and art, in loving -- are ahead of their time, inspired by and absorbed by that which most others might consider "strange". I think about how, especially when one is creative, one can become totally consumed by the creative process.

I think about how each of us desires to live fully, well-used, and that some people are fortunate to live each moment in that way; though we pray that everyone has a "full" life, it may be that "full" has more to do with quality than with length of time.

Perhaps that's why Aaron was "silent" after the death of his sons: perhaps he felt that bittersweet mixture of grief for the loss of his sons and pride/satisfaction for the richness of their lives. They were "consumed", as so many of us are, when we are blessed with meaningful lives.
***
May our lives be full and our passions all-consuming, and may we live to experience that fullness over and over again in lives that are long as well. -

Shalom, salaam, peace.
Rabbi Arthur Waskow"

QUESTION TO READER OF THE JOURNEY OF HOPE BLOG:

How can we begin to understand for ourselves and for others just how painful--how horrific is the unexpected death of a loved one--particularly to murder or the threat of murder? How can we begin to have the grace of silence? I've observed that often when speaking, murder victims family who are against the death penalty sometimes have the beautiful grace of silence with others bereaved due to a murder who are not yet "there". Lessons for us all!

When and how is silence as response to such rage best? When is speaking outloud best?

Let me know so that I can reprint your comment here.

Connie newlease7@yahoo.com

Also see also...

Rabbi Mecklenberg, the author of the Ktav v-haKabbala,
www.ohrtorahstone.org.il/parsha/parsha.htm

Parashat Shemini/Shabbat Parah - D'var Torah
Aaron is unable to speak because the experience of the horrific death of his sons at such a peak moment in his life cannot be articulated in words. ...
www.bj.org/parashat_hashavua/parashat_shemini_5765.php

URGENT ACTION: Urge US Congress to adopt the Vienna Convention as Domestic Law

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT ACTION & GET THE WORD OUT. MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND, SUSANNE CARDONA, German Coalitions to Abolish the Death Penalty, sent this. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

NOTE: Please be aware that there may be some complications with this due to the duplicity and hidden nature generally of the present US administration & regime, ie, signing statements, ulterior motives in wanting to reduce any states rights. Watch for further items on this. Even so, the Vienna Convention and other rights protections may help the US and foreign visitors anywhere in the world if they are increased and established. Please send any further information you have on these matters to Connie L. Nash newlease7@yahoo.com and watch often Bill of Rights Defense Committee at http://www.bordc.org/news/” and http://www.bordc.org/”. Also of course, Amnesty International, Center for Constitutional Rights.

Text was edited by Mark Warren. For those of you who might not know him: Mark’s a legal researcher who specializes in the application of consular treaty rights to death penalty cases. He was a member of Mexico's legal team at the ICJ in the Avena case and helped to draft several of the amicus curiae briefs submitted to the Supreme Court in Medellin.
(edited 4/1/08)

Dear friends,

In its ruling on March 23, a majority of Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court decided in the case Medellin v. Texas that a binding decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) requiring judicial remedies for consular rights violations in the USA is not enforceable in the domestic courts. Although issued under the authority of the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the ICJ Statute and the UN Charter, the ICJ decision in Avena and Other Mexican Nationals is not enforceable domestically because the authorizing treaties had not been transformed into domestic law by Congress (even though each treaty was signed by the US and ratified by the Senate).

As a result of this failure to enforce binding treaty obligations, U.S. citizens abroad may be deprived of access to consular assistance upon arrest. Read the Dallas Morning News editorial:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-scotus_27edi.ART.State.Edition1.161c416.html

There is a solution: The US Congress needs to adopt the ICJ decision in the Avena Case as domestic law.

In order to achieve this we kindly ask you to join our appeal. We have drafted an open letter to the US Congress (see below.) Please copy this letter and also write letters yourselves. We are looking for support from both individuals and groups. Please spread this request for appeal widely.

The idea is for lots of letters to arrive within a relatively short period of time as opposed to never-ending chain letters on the internet. Therefore, we are setting an appeal time limit of April 20, 2008. Please do not send letters after that date.

Our goal is to really make it happen, and for the Congress (both the Senate and the House of Representatives) to take note of this appeal we seek for not only hundreds but thousands of letters to arrive within a short period of time. So please spread this appeal widely!

This issue is not restricted to capital punishment cases and therefore we are addressing all groups that may wish to support our goal, not only human rights activists but also NGOs, organizations and associations of all kinds such as religious communities, sports clubs etc.

Organizations please write to:

- the members of the House of Representatives, and the senators – in both cases you may send one letter to all members using the below addresses or even send a letter to each individual member, which of course is much more work but may be more effective, too.
- a copy to the Secretary of State or Minister of Foreign Affairs of your own country (for German groups the German foreign minister's address is given below)
- a copy to the ambassador of the United States in your country (address for Germany see below)
- a copy to the most important U.S. media
- a copy to the most important media in your respective countries.

Individuals please write to:

- one letter each to (I) the members of the House of Representatives to (II) the members of the Senate (addresses see below)
- - a copy to the Secretary of State or Minister of Foreign Affairs of your own country (for Germans the German foreign minister's address is given below)
- a copy to the ambassador of the United States in your country (For Germans the address for Germany see below)
- the following applies to US citizens: a copy to your Congressman (link for names and addresses see below)


You will find addresses and an example for your letter below. Please feel free to write a letter in your own words.

Thank you for your participation!

Susanne Cardona
Initiative gegen die Todesstrafe e.V.
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
www. Initiative-gegen-die-Todesstrafe.de

Text of the open letter of the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty:

Dear Members of Congress,

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent disposition of the case of Medellin v. Texas raises serious concerns, both for foreign nationals in the United States and for the treatment of U.S. citizens abroad. The Court has declared that the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States) is not binding under domestic law, despite the U.S. Senate's full ratification of the treaties conferring jurisdiction on the ICJ in that case, and despite an order by President Bush urging state court compliance with the Avena Judgment.

Addressing claims brought by Mexico under a compulsory dispute settlement mechanism agreed to by the United States, the ICJ found that the U.S. had violated its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in the cases of 51 death-sentenced Mexican nationals by failing to advise them of their consular notification rights after their arrests. The ICJ held that the necessary remedy is for the domestic courts to provide "review and reconsideration" in each case, in order to determine if the lack of prompt access to consular assistance was harmful to any of the defendants. State rules of procedure may not be applied to prevent the "review and reconsideration" of these convictions and sentences, since the Vienna Convention requires that local laws and regulations must give "full effect" to the consular rights that the treaty confers. As the Supreme Court recognized, U.S. compliance with the Avena Judgment is a binding obligation under international law.

However, by concluding that the ICJ Judgment is not enforceable domestically, the Medellin decision leaves the United States in violation of its binding treaty obligations but without any prospect of remedies from the judicial or the executive branches. This unacceptable situation may prompt police departments nationwide to ignore the Vienna Convention's consular information and notification requirements for foreign detainees, as happened in the cases of José Ernesto Medellín and the fifty other Mexican nationals whose Avena claims were disposed of in the Medellin decision. Foreign nationals arrested on serious charges must be able to count on the prompt access to consular notification and assistance that the Vienna Convention guarantees, a protection that in many cases is as essential to a fair trial as the right to counsel.

In addition, as the dissenting Justices observed, failing to comply with the United States' binding treaty commitments runs the risk of "precipitating actions by other nations putting at risk American citizens who have the misfortune to be arrested while traveling abroad, or of diminishing our Nation’s reputation abroad as a result of our failure to follow the ‘rule of law’ principles that we preach.”

The Medellin decision's pick-and-choose approach to treaty compliance raises a serious question for the international community: is the United States bound by its word, or not? Are the nations of the world expected to retain constitutional scholars to determine if and when a proposed treaty will bind the United States? Or can other nations presume that when the United States of America signs a treaty through its authorized representative, and ratifies it through the U.S. Senate, that treaty will be worth the paper on which it is printed?

There is a solution. The Supreme Court has laid the responsibility for America's credibility in the world squarely on the shoulders of the Congress of the United States. The U.S. Congress has the power -- and the moral obligation -- to adopt the ICJ judgment on Vienna Convention remedies as domestic law.

We urge Congress to implement the limited and reasonable remedies required under the ICJ Judgment in Avena and Other Mexican Nationals, thus assuring the world that a promise made by the United States is a promise kept.

The undersigned,


Addresses of the US Congress (two separate letters will have to be sent):

Members of the United States Senate
Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

And

Members of the House of Representatives
House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510


The names of the senators and members of the House of Representatives can be found at:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

and

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

UGANDA: over 400 condemned challenge death penalty

INTERLUDE while we catch up with important news and reports. This one is especially apt since The Journey of Hope family was privileged to have with us on our Texas journey a Ugandan man who spent years on Uganda's death row for a crime he didn't commit. (He remained on death row even AFTER the man who did the crime was found!) Edward is active in prison and prisoners' family ministry and in speaking out against the death penalty worldwide. Find more information by and about him in our JOH archives and watch for more items to come in the COMMENT section below.

UGANDA: Court to hear death sentence appeal

THE hearing of the appeal, in which over 400 condemned inmates are seeking to quash the death sentence, has been set for May 22.

The Constitutional Court maintained the death penalty, saying it was constitutional and the hanging was a lawful means of carrying out the sentence.

However, it annulled the mandatory death sentence as unconstitutional.

At least 417 inmates led by Susan Kigula, condemned for murder, challenged the constitutionality of the death penalty, saying it was cruel, inhuman and degrading and asked the court to abolish it .

The Attorney General also cross-appealed the inmates' appeal, saying he was not satisfied with the June 2005 ruling in which the Constitutional Court upheld the death sentence.

The court ruled that the inmates, who may have been on death row for over 3 years, could seek a redress including a revision of their sentence.

The court added that the redress would be postponed for 2 years to enable the President to exercise his prerogative of mercy under the Constitution.

The court, with a 3-2 majority judgment, also declared that the death sentence was no longer mandatory, but it would be in the discretion of the trial judge depending on the circumstances of the case.

The inmates, who are represented by Katende, Ssempebwa & Co.--Advocates, insisting that the death sentence should be abolished.

(source: New Vision, submitted March 20 08 by Rick Halperin)

MARIETTA JAEGER-LANE

"Loved ones, wrenched from our lives by violent crime, deserve more beautiful, noble and honorable memorials than pre-meditated, state-sanctioned killings. The death penalty only creates more victims and more grieving families. By becoming that which we deplore -- people who kill people -- we insult the sacred memory of all our precious victims." Marietta

For those who may not know and for others who may want a refresher:
Marietta Jaeger-Lane has been involved in many ways with The Journey of Hope as well as active with many aspects of the national and international Abolition movement. While the following information and snippets are easy to find elsewhere, we are making it easy for you. Several of us in The Journey of Hope wanted to use this opportunity to highlight Marietta's witness and inspirational life at this time above the report she sent on her time in Europe.

Marietta's Story in Brief:

Marietta Jaeger-Lane's daughter Susie was abducted at the age of seven during a family camping trip in Montana. For over a year afterwards, the family knew nothing of Susie's whereabouts. Shortly before the one-year anniversary of Susie's disappearance, Marietta stated to the press that she wanted to speak with the person who had taken her child. On the anniversary date, she received a call from a young man who taunted her by asking, "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

During the year following Susie's disappearance, Marietta had struggled to balance her rage against her belief in the need for forgiveness. Her immediate response to the young man was to ask how he was feeling, since his actions must have placed a heavy burden on his soul. Her caring words disarmed him, and he broke down in tears on the phone. He subsequently spoke with Marietta for over an hour, revealing details about himself and the crime that ultimately allowed the FBI to solve the case.

Marietta was to learn that Susie had been killed on a remote Montana ranch a week after she disappeared. Despite her family's tragedy, she remains committed to forgiveness and has been an ardent opponent of the death penalty for the over 25 years since Susie's death.

Reprinted with permission from Not in our Name: Murder Victims Families Speak Out Against the Death Penalty, a publication of Murder Victims Families For Reconciliation. (Barbara Hood & Rachel King, Editors; MVFR)

Several years ago Marietta married Bob Lane and left the intercity of Detroit and moved to his sprawling ranch in Three Forks, Montana. Marietta continues to travel around the world with her Christian message of forgiveness.

Keep watching for more photos and snippets from and about Marietta...

MARIETTA IN SANT'EGIDIO'S CITIES FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN

First a message from Magdaleno "Leno" Rose-Avila

Marietta is one of the most important voices in our movement and one that enjoys a good joke and laugh... even if the joke is on her. She is a rare gem amongst the many stars in the heavens. Leno

From MARIETTA:

Here's my "report" re our experience speaking against the death penalty in Italy the end of November - beginning of December 2007...

IN SANT'EGIDIO'S CITIES FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN

At the end of last November, I was honored to be one of the participants in the CITIES FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN sponsored by the Community of Sant’Egidio, whose base is in Rome, Italy. The purpose of this campaign was to garner support from Italy and some other European countries for the United Nations’ resolution calling for a world-wide moratorium on the death penalty. Other Journeyers also invited were Bill Pelke, Art Laffin, Bud Welch, SueZann Bosler, Shujja Graham and Eduard (Edward) from Uganda. If I’ve left anyone out, please forgive me – I just didn’t know you were there. As Eduard says in his piece, we were scattered all over Italy and I think Bud was in Spain.

Anyhow, my husband Bob and I were flown to Venice where we were picked up by members of the Community and taken to our hotel in Trieste. This very hilly, northeastern Italian city is quite interesting in that, at one point in history it belonged to Austria, another time to Slovenia and now to Italy. Consequently, the culture and architecture, etc., is not quite the same as other Italian cities. Very interesting – I’d go back in a minute!

Since we’d been in the air for twenty-four hours, we were really worn out. So the Trieste Community members fed us lavishly and then sent us to our hotel to get some sleep. I think we slept straight through for fourteen hours!

But the next day, we were up and running – a high school presentation in the morning, then a relaxed lunch followed by a university class in the afternoon, and then, usually at another town’s gathering, an evening talk – which didn’t start till 9PM!. If we started anything at 9PM over here, no one would come – they’d all be home, getting ready for bed! But the Italians take a break in the afternoon and then don’t eat till 9:30PM or so.

Most evenings after such a late presentation, dinner didn’t happen till 10:30 or so! However, then, when we finally did sit down to eat, it was always an EVENT – leisurely enjoying each and every course, lots of wine and delightful conversations with Community members and new people from each different town and city we spoke in. The Community of Sant’Egidio folks are absolutely wonderful, gracious and generous hosts!

All our audiences, teens and adults, were respectful and very attentive with intelligent questions during the Q&A sessions re the practice of the death penalty and my own experience. Every presentation had to be tailored to fit the time limits, given that it took twice as long as normal because of the need for an interpreter, who had to repeat everything that was said. For all my presentations, there was only one in which I did not need an interpreter. That was at the United World College in Udio, where all the students spoke English. (One of these students was from the state of Washington, just west of Montana where we live.) There are 14 of these colleges throughout the world (only one in the US, in Montezuma, NM).

The premise of these very special universities is to bring students together from all over the world to each school, with 35% of the enrollment from each host country, where they will live, study, work and socialize with each other, learning to understand and respect all the other faiths, cultures, customs, etc.. The anticipation is that these young people will be participants in preparing for a peaceful world, with all peoples living in harmony. A wonderful, hopeful concept – I pray that it works!

The last night we stayed in Trieste, we were part of a special program in the City Hall of Udine. There we met Idanna Pucci, the author of a book entitled -The Trials of Maria Barbella-. This book, to my surprise, was about an Italian immigrant living in New York City in the mid-1880’s who was the first woman on OUR country’s death row scheduled to be executed by the electric chair. The author, a delightful woman, was the great-grand-daughter of Cora Slocumb, a courageous Italian-American citizen, born in N’Orleans but living in Italy, who was largely responsible for saving Maria Barbella’s life. The book is the story about how all that happens.

I’ve been speaking on and working for the abolition of the death penalty here in our country and in many places around the world for thirty-plus years, but I’d never, ever heard about Maria Barbella or her experience of many years on New York State’s death row! It’s an amazing, tragic but heroic story and I enthusiastically encourage everyone to read Idanna Pucci’s very well-written book, -The Trials of Maria Barbella-, about a little-known, shameful facet of our country’s death penalty history.

Moving on, Bob and I spent the last half of our Italian sojourn in Padova, outside of Venice, continuing to give presentations there and in cities all around the area, in the very good care of yet more members of the Communio di Sant'Egidio. On the evening of November 30th, all the cities across Italy which were involved with the Cities for Life Campaign each lit up (all night) their special monuments or towers as a sign of their support for the UN’s resolution – a very moving moment of our time there!

The following week, the resolution was indeed passed. Not too difficult to guess on which side the US voted! Unfortunately, the resolution is not mandatory but hopefully, it will put pressure on the US to re-think their policy and practice of capital punishment.

Our last day was a “free” day and we spent it wandering in awe and wonder through the lovely island-city of Venice, where not even bicycles are allowed – only boats of all kinds and walkers like us. We had to pass on the opportunity to ride in a gondola – to do so would have almost required coming home and re-mortgaging our ranch! But it was fun to walk around, gawk at everything and window-shop. Bob saw a beautiful man’s suit in one store that only cost $3000! So, if you’re traveling to Venice, take lots of Euros with you!! But don’t miss it either, if you have the chance to go!

We continue to be ever so grateful for Bill Pelke for suggesting our names to the Community of Sant’Egidio for this work in Italy, and to all the kind, fun-loving, generous members of that Community for their gracious care and goodness to us. Would that there be more folks with the zeal and concern they have for the poor and for genuine social justice!
END





++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another Death Will Not Serve Me

Robert Kerr with his niece and sister Judy Kerr

"Revenge will not bring my brother back and it will not bring me peace. I honor my brother’s life and my memory of him by standing against the practice of delivering justice through execution." (Excerpt from article just below)

ANOTHER DEATH WILL NOT SERVE ME
BY Judy Kerr

NOTE: This article has also been posted March 1, 2008 on Death Penalty Focus (or earlier). Please go OFTEN to this wonderfully rich and wholistic partner site!
See our new links to the right.

My brother, Robert James Kerr, was found lifeless, shirtless, barefoot, and without identification on July 12, 2003 in Everett, Washington. It took weeks for investigators to identify him. I spent that time becoming increasingly worried and finally alarmed when he did not arrive for a scheduled visit and when my calls to his cell phone were answered by a stranger.

Bob was brutally beaten and strangled. His financial accounts were used for weeks after his murder. Bob had given up his PIN number and other personal information on the night of the crime. The coroner’s report confirmed the horrible circumstances under which the information was obtained.

In the days and weeks that followed my brother’s murder I was immobilized by the trauma. I craved information about who killed him. I wanted this person, this criminal, brought to justice. I wanted to be able to tell my daughter that society would find a just way to respond to this merciless act.

I am still waiting, four years later, for a suspect to be named and for justice to take its course. It has been agonizing for me to go through the pain and grief of Bob’s violent death. But the possibility of the death penalty for the murderer is an additional burden and a cruel twist that adds to my sense of victimization.

I have never and will never support the death penalty. I know now, more than ever, that killing is wrong. Revenge will not bring my brother back and it will not bring me peace. I honor my brother’s life and my memory of him by standing against the practice of delivering justice through execution.

— Judy Kerr, Robert’s sister

Judy is the Victim Outreach Liaison/Spokesperson for CCV. To reach her, please email judy@deathpenalty.org.

End of Post

NOTE from a JOH Blogger:
Also find this article on Death Penalty Focus. See the new links we have added to The Journey Of Hope Blog to the Right. Scroll down if needed for some browsers until we work out kinks. PLEASE LET US KNOW if you continue to have any difficulty accessing items and links you may need and/or have any other concerns, suggestions, tips or reports for us. THIS ARTICLE TO BE FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY MARIETTA'S REPORT--than TERRI'S REPORT. SO PLEASE FILE/NOTE THIS ONE AND KEEP WATCHING JOH BLOG! And scroll down for other especially unique items below by Ron K. before you miss them.

KEEP COMING BACK!

Thanks, Connie newlease7@yahoo.com

Dan Booth Cohen and Arnie King

A Broken Heart Can Heal - Sometimes in One Beat.

Dan Booth Cohen uses a creative European approach for fostering peace and reconciliation in difficult relationships among prisoners and others. Best known as a Systemic Constellation, this gentle, nearly-silent group process transforms emotional, physical or relationship problems. A Constellation circle is neither psychotherapy nor a spiritual practice. It is the missing tool in the peacemaker's toolkit. See more here on Cohen's group solutions to healing relationships.

http://www.hiddensolution.com/

And be sure to read the forgiveness section here on prisoners and their discoveries
http://www.hiddensolution.com/arnie.htm

Cohen's Friend Arnie King

(Be Sure to see 'ODE to Bill' by Ron Just Below)

Arnie King's Freedom (posting due to JOH theme: the call for forgiveness)

"Harmful forgiveness is a form of vengeance thinly disguised as an act of virtue. It occurs when the forgiver adopts a superior position, as in the 'good one' absolving the 'bad one' of guilt.

Healing forgiveness is based, not on judgments about virtue and sin, but on deep compassion and humility."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Boston Globe published a front page story recently about Arnie King, a member of the Growing Together group at Bay State prison. This message summarizes the article, followed by Dan Booth Cohen's comment.

In 1971, when Arnie was 18, high on drugs and alcohol, he murdered a complete stranger, 26 year-old John Labanara.

Arnie King now, after 36 years, is asking for a second chance. He is the first inmate whose plea to be set free has made it to the desk of Governor Deval Patrick, and his attempt has met with the unanimous approval of the state Pardons Board. King's supporters include the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus, academics, ministers, and community leaders...

READ rest of the story here (Dan Booth Cohen's version)
http://www.hiddensolution.com/arnie.htm

WRITE a letter in support of Arnie King!
http://stopchicopeejail.blogspot.com/2008/02/please-write-letter-in-support-of.html

See the recent article in The Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/02/27

Cohen's group solutions to healing relationships
http://www.hiddensolution.com/

Ode to Bill

Please don't miss the important youtube video (and rate it) just below the "Ode"!

I am reposting this well-written and colorful piece by Ron which was first posted here in the archives under "Special NCADP Special Recognition Award for Jan 22 2008" --See the Call for Gratitudes and the Comments under that story. Look for more repostings and some new similar items and reports coming up. Because I've detected a little Bill Pelke humility or shyness--I took a little break from these--but now I'm trying to "sneak" these in with the visibility they deserve. Connie

Ode to Bill

"Ron, I would like you to meet Bill Pelke."

It wasn’t that long ago that I was standing in my living room listening to Abe Bonowitz introduce Bill to Pat and I.

Abe, Juan Melendez and Bill Pelke were on a Journey of Hope tour across the states. I had talked to Abe and Juan at a Seminar for exonorees at a retreat in Florida.

They were traveling the states in a van, towing a trailer full of abolitionist T-shirts and literature . The wording on both vehicles said "Journey of Hope.
From Violence to Healing, Stop the Killing." (along with an inordinate amount of anti-Bush parroting.) I dubbed it Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show.

The very sight of it conjured up images of southern ministers who traveled from town to town, in rural areas, preaching the words of Armageddon. I could almost hear them, hollering on hot summer nights, in circus tents, to save the towns people from eternal damnation. Halleluia Brothers! Can I get an Amen?

When Abe told me that they would be in Ohio around Easter time I invited this strolling minstrel show to my place, in Michigan for the Easter weekend. "Come
and have Easter dinner with us. I know you guys probably have not had any real food in a long time. Pat is a great cook. Spend the whole week end, you can kick back and relax. You probably need a little vacation from the Journey."

Juan told me that they will would have a guy named Bill Pelke with them.
"If it is OK ," he added.

"Sure", I said, "Any friend of you guys Is welcome in my house." Abe
went on to tell me a little about Bill and I immediately had second thoughts about this visit. Great. After years of successfully keeping the Jehovah Witnesses at bay, I now was letting one stay in my house.

I have learned that there are two things you cannot change about fanatics. Their mind or the subject. I believe that this is inherent to all extremists.

"If he starts trying to save me, he is going to end up staying in the garage," I told Abe. "NO NO," Juan said to me " Bill’s not like that, He’s cool." Abe then
says to me "You could use some saving you heathen." "Is he a Jehovah’s witness?" I queried. "NO," was the reply.

I remember one of the first things Bill did was to give me an autographed copy of his book. Early the next morning I scanned the book and realized that there was a whole lot more to this man than meets the eye.

We went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. It was here that Abe, Juan, Bill, myself, and my girlfriend Pat began one of the longest discussions, on the Death Penalty in recent history. It lasted for 3 continuous days and nights and is still ongoing. I don’t even remember what we ate or drank as the conversation was that engrossing. I even ignored our waiter as he waited on us. ( This guy tries to hit on me sometimes when I eat there. This usually annoys me which gives me a chance to try out a new insult. Pat thinks it is cute and gets her laughs out of it.)

Enter Bill Pelkeism (Yes, it is too a word)

Billpelkeism– Pronunciation: \0'i-zc?m\ Function: noun
Etymology: - ism

distinctive doctrine, cause, or theory 2: an oppressive and especially discriminatory attitude or belief having to do with Bill Pelke

1. The act of being Bill Pelke

2. The belief that One can stop government killings

3. The following of Bill Pelke Or Pelkieists, Commonly known as JOH contributors and workers.

4. The understanding that hard work and dedication can stop executions .

5. The realization that one cannot keep up with other abolitionists when drinking in a local pub.

In recent years I have had the biblical expertise and knowledge of Bill Pelke, on my side, just a phone call away. We have had many discussions about the Death
Penalty aspects of the bible which led me to study it diligently.

Now days when A Jehovah’s witness comes to my door,things are different.

"Come on in. Would you like some coffee? I want to talk to you about the death penalty. Just where in the hell do you get off telling people that God says it is
OK to kill people. Sit your asses down in those chairs, shut up and don’t interrupt me. Get comfortable cause this is going to take a while."

Anyway, I got to know Bill. I can honestly say that my life has become more complete because of knowing him. The whole abolitionist movement has benefited from his
diligent and dedicated work. On the Journey, in Texas, this year I watched as Bill took on this Destined for Failure (There had been some problems before the
Journey even began) undertaking and through his leadership, brought it to success. I watched in admiration as he worked day and night skipping many meals. Even at night as we slept, he worked.

Bill has worked throughout the U.S and even Europe to end government killing. Just think of all the people Bill has reached out to and how many lives are saved
because of him, his relentless pursuit of our cause, at great personal and financial hardship. Look at the impact the Journey of Hope has put in the Death
Penalty.

Keep on keeping on. We all love you Brother.

RON
All it takes for evil to prevail --is for good men to
do nothing. Edmund Burke

WATCH New Video on Death Penalty, Victims, Revenge

Hi all,

We have just posted our newest YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-o_HWgatFM

We’ve been told that the first 48 hours on YouTube is critical to making a video a success. Here’s how you can help:

1) watch the video
2) comment on the video
3) rank the video—highly please!
4) make it a favorite
5) send it to your friends or your email lists and ask them to do the same.

To do items 2,3 and 4 you need to login to a YouTube account, but its easy and free and the rest takes only a few minutes.

Videos with the highest marks in these categories in the first 48 hours will be placed on the YouTube’s “best of lists” and get even more traffic. So please take a few minutes to help us get this message out. It's your fast and fun activism for the day!

Thanks,

Natasha Minsker
Death Penalty Policy Director
ACLU of Northern California
39 Drumm Street
San Francisco , CA 94111
Telephone: (415) 621-2493
FAX: (415) 255-1478
E-mail: nminsker@aclunc. org

WATCH SOON!

Then WATCH SOON FOR SOME RAPIDLY POSTED ITEMS FROM JOH FOLK!

Four Vindicated Meet in San Jose

The photo above shows four men --all vindicated from death row-- who attended the National Coalition Against the Death Penalty annual conference in San Jose. Be sure to see Ron Keine's Report on SAN JOSE and Ron's BIO just below the report. Here are short BIOS for the other four men. For even more details on the lives of these four brave souls and others go to
WITNESS TO INNOCENCE Speakers here
http://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/speakers.htm

Ron Keine, Shujaa Graham, Greg Wilhout, Curtis McCarty

Shujaa Graham
Shujaa Graham was born in Lake Providence, Louisiana, where he grew up on a plantation. At the age of 18, he was sent to Soledad Prison. In prison, Shujaa became part of the prison activist movement. In 1973,Shujaa was targeted and framed in the murder of a prison guard at the Deul Vocational Institute in Stockton, California. The community became involved in his defense and supported him throughout four trials. In 1979, the California Supreme Court overturned the death conviction. Finally, Shujaa won his freedom and affirmed his innocence in spite of the system and was released in March 1981. In the years following his release, Shujaa moved away from the Bay Area,learned landscaping and created his own business. He lectures frequently on the death penalty, the criminal justice system, incarceration and innocence, and racism in America. “I’m filled with ideals that would make life better for all humanity, that’s my struggle,” Shujaa says. “That’s going to be my struggle until I die.

Greg Wilhoit
Greg Wilhoit grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in an average, middle class, Christian family. In 1983 he married Kathy Godwin. They had two daughters. Greg loved his family, but in May 1985 he and Kathy separated to try and work out some problems. Kathy and their daughters, Krissy and Kim moved into an apartment across town, but Greg saw them almost daily. On June 1, 1985 Kathy was found brutally murdered in her apartment. Greg was home alone sleeping, so he had no alibi. Almost a year later, Greg was stunned when he was unexpectedly arrested and charged with Kathy’s murder. The lawyers that were hired and paid did sloppy work and finally Greg fired them. Greg located a lawyer with a reputation for being one of the best in the country. Yet, unbeknownst to Greg or his parents, they found out too late that this attorney had become an alcoholic and had developed alcohol-related brain damage. He embodied the definition of an incompetent attorney and did no preparation whatsoever for Greg’s trial. He appeared in court drunk, threw up in the judge’s chambers, and literally put on no defense. Since the jury basically only heard the prosecution’s case, Greg was found guilty and sentenced to death. At the sentencing, Greg said, “The judge told me I was to die by lethal injection. ‘If that fails we’ll electrocute you. If the power goes out, we’ll hang you. And if the rope breaks we’ll take you out back and shoot you.’” Eventually,the 12 top forensic odontologists in the country examined the bite mark evidence and all 12 testified that the bite mark could not possibly have been Greg’s. A new trial was eventually granted and in 1983 Greg was finally cleared of all guilt. He has never received an apology or one penny in compensation. Despite challenges such as post-traumatic stress symptoms,Greg has found that sharing his story about the horrors of the death penalty and the fallibility of the justice system gives him a purpose and will contribute to the abolition of the death penalty.

Curtis McCarty
After 21 Years in Prison – including 16 on Death Row –
Curtis McCarty is Exonerated Based on DNA Evidence. He was released from an Oklahoma prison May 11, 2007. Oklahoma City case is one of the worst cases of government misconduct in the history of the American criminal justice system, Innocence Project says
Curtis Edward McCarty was convicted twice and sentenced to death for the same murder in verdicts that were both thrown out based on evidence of his innocence and an extraordinary pattern of government misconduct.

YES, WE KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE

By Ron Keine

Several of our JOH warriors went to the NCADP conference in San Jose California this January. Ron and Greg Wilhoit went 5 days early and did a road trip with A friend, Gary Segatti. Gary is a Lawyer from Michigan who plays ball with Ron on weekends. He was pro Death penalty before meeting Ron.

The trip went to Yosemite National Park and to Kings Forest to see the giant Sequoia trees. It was on to to Big Sur from there. They ended up at Cannery Row ( From John Steinbeck's book of the same name ) to see the sights but never made it past the first bar which they closed.

The next day Rachel and Terry were added to the bunch and all went to the famous Fisherman's Wharf where they had lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Ron almost choked on his food when he suddenly noticed Alcatraz Prison which loomed right outside the big bay window of the restaurant.

They made it to the conference on time and met with Shujaa, Curtis McCarty Bill Pelke , Kathy. Renny Judi Caruso, Juan Melendez, Jack Travers Suzann Bosler and Connie. Later it was nice to see George White and Marietta lane who came just to honor Bill.

Day one of the conference was registration and looking at the various exhibits set up by abolitionist groups from near and far including the JOH exhibit which was by far the best. The official conference opening began at five pm where Bill Pelke, Larry Marshal and several other dignataries spoke to a standing room only crowd. Later that evening Micky Dickoff showed her wonderful film about the JOH which brought many people in tears.

Days two, and three each started with breakfast, and a speech, Then each attendee chose which of the many workshops he or she wanted to attend. Included were Organizing, Fundraising, Strategic Planning Issues, Lethal Injection, Case studies, The Power of Innocence. Public Speaking, Family Members of Murder Victims, Individual Death Row Cases,Communications, Death Penalty Research, Writers Bureau, How to pass Resolutions , Working with murder victims families, Faith communities, Activist caucuses, Youth Organizers, and other related subjects. These workshops were a wealth of information and training. Each was led by a leader in that respective field.

Saturday evening was the Big Awards Banquet where Bill Pelke ( Our Hero ) was awarded and honored as outgoing Board Chair. It is a position Bill has had for about 3 1/2 years and he is now stepping down.

The highlight of the evening was when the moderator Magdaleno Rose-Avila called upon Abe Bonowitz to introduce bill. Abe asked for anyone whom has worked with or been inspired by Bill to "Please come up to the front of the room." What ensued resembled a stampede. There were so many people up there that the rest of the room looked deserted. Bill Started blubbering at the resulting standing Ovation. He was clearly moved.

All and all the Conference was a resounding success. We Learned a lot at the various workshops. Ran into a lot of old friends and made some new ones. It would behoove any abolitionist to attend these NCADP conferences. It is a wealth of information and learning. With all the various workshops we were able to " brush up " on a few areas and learn some totaly new concepts. We are now better armed to do battle with the pro Death Penalty minions and end the government killing.

BIO of Ron Keine

Along with three co-defendants, Ron Keine was convicted of the murder, kidnapping, sodomy and rape of University of New Mexico student William Velten in 1974 and was sentenced to die in New Mexico¢s gas chamber. At the time of the murder, Ron was traveling through New Mexico with a motorcycle gang from California. "We were pretty rowdy," he says. "We were having fun, raising hell and drinking beer. But we weren't killers." Throughout the trial, Ron maintained his innocence. He was unable to believe that he might be found guilty. "I didn't think they could convict four innocent men and sentence them to death," he says. "I had faith in the American justice system. Now I know it's corrupt and broken. I don't believe the government should kill people."

An investigation by The Detroit News after Ron and his co-defendants were sentenced uncovered lies by the prosecution's star witness, perjured identification given under police pressure, and the use of poorly administered lie detector tests. Ron spent 22 months on death row until the real killer came forward and confessed. At one point, Ron says, he was so close to going to the gas chamber that an assistant warden came to talk to him about what he wanted for his last meal. In late 1975, a state district judge dismissed the original indictments and the four men were released in 1976 after the murder weapon was traced to a drifter from South Carolina who admitted to the killing. The murder weapon, a 22-caliber pistol, was found only after a search warrant was issued to open the sheriff's safe. Not only was the murder weapon found, there was also dated evidence showing that the gun was hidden from the defense at the original trial.

After his release, Ron returned to Michigan, where he became a successful businessman and became active in local politics. At one point, Ron held seven elected and appointed positions. His transition, however, was not easy. "It was hard to find a job," Ron says. "I found that people read the headlines but don't read the whole story. All they knew is that I'd been involved in a murder. I had employers tell me they couldn't hire me because I'd be bad for employee morale and scare the women."

Ron currently lives outside of Detroit, where he owns his own business. He speaks to groups throughout the country about having survived death row and has done numerous media interviews about his wrongful conviction and the criminal justice system. Ron has been on the Larry King show, various radio talk shows and in the summer of 2007, a PBS documentary highlighting a speech he gave at Bluffton University in Ohio was released. He has also been a practicing martial artist for more than 20 years. Ron is a dynamic speaker who frequently takes his audience on an emotional roller-coaster ride with a high-impact mixture of sadness and humor.

Do you recognize these guys?

Magdaleno: Poster Guy

Leno just said HAPPY LOVE DAY to us ALL!

More About Leno

First try his blog which is very easy www.magdaleno.org

If you don't know him yet, you'll like him right away! And if you do know him, you'll end up liking him even more. See his latest AHORA on his blog which covers The Economy and more. I'm sure he's open for discussion as well. You will find him most personal and a listener par excellence--not to mention so spontaneous and full of surprises hosting the NCADP San Jose conference--if you know anyone who needs such a host? We REALLY need to hear from Leno's experience at such a time as this!

HERE'S HOW TO ORDER LENO'S BOOK: -LOOKING FOR MY WINGS-
http://magdaleno.org/index.php/?page_id=4

When you read Leno's book and you MUST!)be sure to give special attention to the chapter: RECONCILIATION, REASON & HUMAN RIGHTS which includes a lot about Journey of Hope and also about our Reason for Being, how to say in Spanish, Leno?

Check out Leno's website and order this book. Also keep watching under Comments here for more...

Magdaleno "Leno" Rose-Avila
Executive Director
South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice
Office: 786-264-1708
Fax: 786-264-1859
Web: www.sfiwj.org

Cell: (206) 310-2102

Blog:
Email 1: leno@magdaleno.org
Email 2: lenoroseavila@sfiwj.org

Don't forget to look for Leno UPDATES/his blog entries/etc. on THIS PAGE from time to time here under COMMENTS since this page will only be here a very short time. So mark it as a favorite and please Check Back!

Please find more from and about Leno and his book here under January 30, 2008 in our JOURNEY Blog...

http://thejourneyofhope.blogspot.com/2008/01/journey-of-hope-entire-poem-magdaleno-m.html

Leno's Poem "Our Work"

With so much being said and voted upon related to immigration and the lack of empathy for survivors of the human predicament, here are a few words from Leno which may have some bearing on the work of prevention which we all say we want to support:

Our Work

I woke up one day
I knew I was different
my skin was not right
it was sort of off-colored...
well things just seemed
to go on the same each
day and the next
with nothing but little upon
our red table...
I remembered going early
each morning with all
the workers, to some
farmer's fields where
we laughed and we worked
throughout all the sun
till gray setting dusk.
then we all went back
to the truck in our
stooped little shuffle...
a real tired people
going back to dirt little homes
with nothing but little upon
our red table...
to sleep, and then
back to the truck with no
change in the life of these
off-colored people who
speak not like you.
one day those workers
will be buried side by side
in government coffins
and graves
made especially for those
poor little off-colored people.

This poem was written in 1968 when I was working in Colorado's
San Luis Valley. I was frustrated at how farm workers would work all
their (our) lives and have nothing to show for it, nothing but a
government grave.

Find this in -Looking For My Wings- a book by Magdaleno M. Rose-Avila

(Come back later for more from Leno and under comments for updates that
will make you ask: what's changed after all these years? Connie)

Magdaleno "Leno" Rose-Avila
Executive Director
South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice
Office: 786-264-1708
Fax: 786-264-1859
Web: www.sfiwj.org

Hector Black and His Daughter

Father Finds Peace in Forgiveness

Seven years ago, Hector Black's daughter was murdered after she surprised an intruder in her Atlanta home...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18791726
---
See also Ron Keine's Article in the Comments below as it relates to prevention of various kinds of tragedies as in the story above. If only the right people had been around EARLY ON and able to help Ivan Simpson who was born in a mental hospital...

Edward Edward Mpagi (Edmary)

Just think back to Edward's courage and our JOH flexibility--not to mention the gift he was to us from Amnesty! And because of all this, Edward was able
to be present before these thousand plus people and to impart to them the message of forgiveness and healing. We often take such large and small gifts for
granted and fail to recognize what they give us! A
reminder that we at the JOH Texas, 2007 were all part of this for Edward and he continues what JOH has begun all over the world. Let's not take this lightly!
Connie


"...I visited University of Torano sharing with them my situation of how I was sentenced to death for murdering a person who was actually alive. They were all amazed--everybody wanted to listen to me.

I went to Borgomanero High School and I spoke to over a THOUSAND students and old people.

I got a chance of visiting Fr. Agostini who during his work in Uganda helped me a lot during my days in prison. I was very happy to meet him..."

See more from Edward at this blogsite
http://thejourneyofhope.blogspot.com/2008/02/edwards-joyful-report-from-italy.html

Edward's Joyful Report from Italy

Photos Coming... I have decided to do kind of a gallery of photos here for Leno, Edward, Contributors of items to follow, JOH folk at NCADP conference, and more from Texas -- rather than for individual postings. So keep watching and send more of your blog contributions and photos to me will you? No need to polish what you send to this blog site. I will do the bare editing or not if you specify. Not too late to send notes from San Jose along with moments you remember recently, from Texas and much earlier from your events with JOH family or somewhere else. Connie

~~~

from Edward Mpagi Edmary Sent 02 February 2008

Thanks to the president of Journey of hope for his recommendation to go and speak in Italy. I boarded the airline on 24 /nov/2007 and I reached on 26/nov/2007 at Rome Airport. I was received by Attonita from the Airport.

I spent my first night in Rome in the house of
St. Egidio Community. I appreciated the hospitality given to me by my hosts. They took me around Rome and we visited quite a good number of places.

The following day, I went to a technical school. I shared my testimony and spoke to them about love and forgiveness and the need to support the complete abolition of death penalty in Italy and the whole world.

From there I was taken to Malpensa airport. I left for Milano. I was welcomed by Francisco. We stayed in Novara (I stayed at the home of Francisco and Paulo.)

I gave a sharing in the university the following day. I visited University of Torano sharing with them my situation of how I was sentenced to death for murdering a person who was actually alive. They were all amazed--everybody wanted to listen to me.

I went to Borgomanero High School and I spoke to over a thousand students and old people.

I got a chance of visiting Fr. Agostini who during his work in Uganda helped me a lot during my days in prison. I was very happy to meet him. He gave me some money for the prisoners on death row--the ones he left in Uganda when he returned to Italy.

It was two hours journey to Como. I was welcomed by the Father from Como .

After that I went back to Novara. The following day I went to Lucca. From Lucca I went to Genova. I visited many parts in Genova. We went to the Ocean where I saw different trypes of fish not found in Uganda.

I left for Alexandria--people liked me so much in that part of the country. I was taken to Malpensa to Rome and then flew to Dubai were I spent a night and finally flew back to Uganda.

Through out my trip I stressed the need for forgiveness and to love one another. I talked to people about how cruel and degrading the death penalty is to our society. For example, I spoke about how an innocent person can be convicted--giving examples. I told them how the death penalty is not meant for criminals only--everybody can be a victim any time.

I missed seeing Bill in Italy,as he was busy in a different part of Italy. I enjoyed staying with the people of Italy and they showed me great love during my stay. I was served Italian foods for the first time. It was nice sharing with the people of Italy.

It was amazing to see myself shown in an Italian daily -- almost a full page -- though I could not read the language. I knew the story in the paper could impact the people of Italy regarding the abolition of death penalty.

PS I am very sorry for the delay in writting this. I have had a lot of commitments in Northern Uganda and also working on some film up country. I could hardly access internet during all this period and a lot of work on me --including talk shows,interviews by local and international media. I had a program on BCC last month with Raykroone. I found many things to do after the long time I stayed in US sick. But I thank God life is better --GOOD!

LET ME HEAR FROM YOU!
Edward (Mpagi Edmary)

NOTE: We were so honored to have Edward with us on the Journey of Hope in Texas -- right after his work with Amnesty at the UN in New York. Although he was quite ill his entire time with us, Edward courageously told his story along with the rest of us in many Texan venues.