a letter to Governor Perdue

[realthog]

I've just been writing an e-mail to Governor Perdue of Georgia. Georgia, you'll recall, is the state that's planning to put to death a prisoner called Troy Davis for a murder that no one any longer believes he committed. You can find a video about the case here, as well as a blank form in case you, too, would like to contact Mr Perdue.

This is the e-mail I sent to Georgia's governor:

Dear Governor Perdue

If you permit the execution of Troy Davis to go ahead on the grounds that killing him is legally permissible and easier than stirring a finger, you (and your staff) will be guilty of murder.

Not, perhaps, in strictly legalistic terms, but in every ethical sense.

You will have to live with the taint of "murderer" attached to your name for the rest of your life.

And then your Maker will pronounce it too.

So why not give your conscience a break, spare your family the disgrace of having to live with a murderer, and pardon this innocent man?

Sincerely --

Paul Barnett

You may be asking why the case hasn't featured much, if at all, in your newspaper or TV news (although some of the foreign newspapers are carrying the story). Well, Mr Davis is black and poor. Otherwise, I'm convinced, there'd be blanket coverage in the news media and consequently national outrage on a deafening scale.

 

Comments

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think a legal case could be made that they are guilty of homicide, if all the facts have been presented to them, along with a judge's ruling.

The prison industrial complex at work.

Love, C.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

I fail to understand why Davis was denied an appeal. He should at the very least be granted a new trial.

This is another example of why the death penalty should not be enforced. While most inmates do feign innocence, their protests should in no way belie the claims of those who are truly innocent, falsely accused and imprisoned then wrongly executed. The system has failed if one innocent person is executed, and we can be certain that many innocents have been wrongfully put to death over the years.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

He's black, the cop was white. He's guilty. That's all you need to know. Just ask any Good Ol' Boy.

[kylecassidy.livejournal.com]

have you seen the marvelous photography book "the innocents" which features portraits of people released from prison for capitol crimes after being exhonerated (usually by DNA evidence). highly recommended.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

The person Davis is alleged to have killed was a white police officer. Reopening the case would cost money, and would emphasise that the justice system in Chatham County works on the principle of finding the first convenient black person and sentencing him to death.

While I applaud your efforts, and support them entirely, I doubt an appeal to Sonny's conscience will work. Mainly because there's little evidence that he has one.