Texas of the North

As hard as it may be to believe, Ohio ranks third only behind Texas and Alabama for the most executions of any state in 2009.

While there has been an overall drop in the number of executions nationally since 2000, Ohio seems to be running counter to this trend by increasing since that time. There was a brief time in 2007-2008 where the number was decreasing in Ohio, but in 2009 it rose dramatically and shows no signs of stopping, based on the list of scheduled executions for 2010--there is one scheduled each month in Ohio through June. Last year, Ohio had a total of 5--this year, we'll have 6 only halfway through the year.

This trend has remained consistent even with different people from different political parties occupying the governor’s mansion.

I will admit that sometimes I find it hard to be passionate about this topic. Even though I am against the death penalty, there are times when it seems it is more urgent to advocate for other causes which involve justice for thousands or even millions of people. However, the death penalty sets the tone for how our entire nature operates. The effects reach far beyond simply the lives of certain incarcerated individuals.

For me, it boils down to this:

If we as a society can't figure out how to solve our problems other than by killing someone, then why are we so surprised that criminals are not able to figure out a better way, either?

Our society sees violence as a way to dealing with problems. When we are born and bred into this culture, this mindset permeates how we conduct ourselves in our interpersonal relationships as well as how our nation behaves politically. A lot of people simply do not know of any alternative other than dealing a problem violently--they have rarely seen anything different.

However, the evidence is quite substantial that violence of this sort does not solve problems, that the death penalty is an ineffective deterrent to crime, and that our criminal system is messed up at best and corrupt or unfair at worst. We make only token attempts at working toward rehabilitation of criminals and true reconciliation.

The movement against the death penalty is not just a crusade to save the lives of certain incarcerated individuals--it is a quest to save the soul of our nation.

What can be done?

Hearing Sr. Helen Prejean speak on this topic is one of the best ways to be introduced to the subject. If you are undecided or simply need inspiration, I would recommend hearing what she has to say. Her story formed the basis for the movie Dead Man Walking. She will be appearing at Ohio Wesleyan University on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 7 pm. The cost is free. The event will be at the Gray Chapel, 61 South Sandusky Street, Delaware, OH 43015.

Vigils:

• Folks gather for a peaceful vigil every Friday night from 6-7 pm at the Governor’s Mansion, Parkview and Maryland.
• I’ll be joining St. James the Less parishioner Dave at noon on Fridays at the corner of State and High downtown, in front of the governor’s offices.
• On the day of any scheduled execution, there is a vigil at 10 am in front of the State House. The next one is February 4, 2010, on behalf of Mark Brown.
  

Send letters to:

The Honorable Ted Strickland
Riffe Center
77 S. High St. 30th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6117

Call the Governor:

614-466-3555

Send emails:

Go to http://www.ohio.gov/, click on governor’s picture, then click on “Contact the Governor.”
If you are not sure what to say, ask for commutation of sentence to life without parole.