Is this the 21st Century?

Tennessee used its electric chair for the first time in 47 years on Wednesday to execute a man who killed his three sons and their half-sister.

Electrocution was first introduced in New York in 1888 as a more humane method of execution than hanging, but there have been horrific instances of inmates catching on fire, multiple jolts being needed to kill, and bones being broken by convulsing limbs.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 there have been 153 inmates executed in the electric chair, most recently a condemned murderer in Virginia in July 2006. Holton's was the 1,097th U.S. execution since 1976.

Holton was the second person executed by Tennessee this year and the 40th U.S. execution so far in 2007.

The electric chair is now the sole method of execution only in Nebraska, while nine other states have it as an option or for crimes committed before a certain date.

How can it be that this nation was shocked and outraged when we learned that Michael Vick electrocuted dogs, but we turn around and do the same thing to a human being in our names?

Did Texas Execute Innocent Men?

Dan Rather recently did a story on the execution of two men in Texas and the compelling proof of their innocence. You can view it here: http://www.hd.net/danrather.html

Did Texas execute innocent men? Yes.

Can any state using the death penalty make that same mistake? Absolutely.

Photos from Robbie Sings for Abolition

A good time was had by all. We raised a little money and a lot of consciousness.

An Open Letter to the King Co Prosecutor Candidates

Agree that, if elected, you will never seek a sentence of death.

Make the promise at every meeting, rally, or event.

Tell us how the money saved by abolishing the death penalty in King County can be used to fund measures to prevent crime and to aid the victims of crime.

Explain that it is time for a change and that King County can become a model for the state--that we are all better off without the machinery of death.

King County is better than the death penalty. We don't need it. It's a human rights abuse.

And, you will have our vote. We will work for you. You can take all of the credit when abolition is a reality in this state. We'll be the ones applauding you the loudest.

Robbie Fulks to Perform a Benefit Concert on August 12

America's answer to Elvis Costello, Robbie Fulks is playing a benefit for the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (the hippest Coalition in the nation) on August 12 at 6 pm at Zeitgeist Coffee in Seattle.

Robbie Fulks is one of the most accomplished songwriters of his or any generation, but he's also a virtuoso guitar player and an unforgettable performer. This promises to be a night to remember.

RSVP at http://www.abolishdeathpenalty.org/ Do it now, we expect a capacity crowd.

Robbie Fulks--Musical Genius? Decide for Yourself on August 12th

Now the hour draws nigh, the last bell tolls

How heavy my chains, how still my soul

But somewhere in the dark, a newborn cries

And a mother looks down with love into a killer's eyes.

Turn away young man, from the siren's spell

Turn back from the path where only torment dwells

Heed well the tale of William Hayes

Born 35 years ago, and he'll hang today

Lyrics from "Cold Statesville Ground," a song that we'd appreciate more if it was an historical tale, rather than an assessment of our current community.

A Big Win in the US Supreme Court!

A divided Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the execution of a Texas killer whose lawyers argued that he should not be put to death because he is mentally ill.

The court ruled 5-4 in the case of Scott Louis Panetti, who shot his in-laws to death 15 years ago in front of his wife and young daughter.

The convicted murderer says that he suffers from a severe documented illness that is the source of gross delusions. "This argument, we hold, should have been considered," said Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion.

Panetti's lawyers wanted the court to determine that people who cannot understand the connection between their crime and punishment because of mental illness may not be executed.

The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution bars "the execution of a person who is so lacking in rational understanding that he cannot comprehend that he is being put to death because of the crime he was convicted of committing," they said in court papers.

Politicians Lag Behind the Public--A Majority Supports Moratorium

From the Death Penalty Information Center:

According to a national public opinion poll conducted in 2007,the public is losing confidence in the death penalty. People are deeply concerned about the risk of
executing the innocent, about the fairness of the process, and about
the inability of capital punishment to accomplish its basic purposes.
Most Americans believe that innocent people have already been executed, that the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime, and that a moratorium should be
placed on all executions.

The public's lack of confidence in the death penalty is being echoed by representatives of victims' groups, by former supporters of the death penalty,
and in the editorial pages of the nation's newspapers. Although the dissatisfaction with capital punishment has many roots, the common and principal concern
heard throughout the country is the risk that innocent people may be caught up with the guilty.

It is time that our elected representatives instituted our collective will--abolition now!