Wednesday, March 09, 2011
This is a special day
The Chicago Tribune is reporting something wonderful: Governor Quinn of Illinois will be signing the death penalty abolition bill today. Though this is something I have hoped for, I feared that the decision would go the other way.
It looks like it will be a small signing ceremony, but among those who will be there are my arch-nemeses/collaborators, the Bishop sisters. While I don't think I had much to do with this decision, I am very proud to work with them, and know for a fact that their past decade of hard work on this issue did most certainly did have something to do with Gov. Quinn's historic decision.
Things are changing. When Pat Quinn signs this bill, that means that in just the past few years New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois will all have switched from "death penalty" to "no death penalty" states. Something is happening.
Jeanne Bishop has promised an insider report tomorrow-- only on the Razor!
UPDATE: It's official-- and the Governor also commuted the sentences of all 15 people remaining on death row.
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I would like to know about your work with they giant jelly bean. You never explained that one.
# posted by 
: 12:46 AM
: 12:46 AM
I really can't talk about my collaboration with Jelly Belly yet. It's under wraps for the moment, but look for big news in July!
I agree with her on the death penalty, but disagree on JLWOP... plus I'm a prosecutor, she's a defense attorney; I support panda rights while she is against them; I love Jesus, she's a Presbyterian... etc. etc. etc.
What about taking on the great state of Texas? Seems like they have death penalty down to a science there.
Osler, is the Jelly Belly also an arch-nemesis? Because that might make a good comic book ("Osler vs. The Jelly Belly").
# posted by : 12:26 PM
: 12:26 PM
I didn’t imply you didn’t and the book prompted by death penalty in Texas is great and a chip into what looks like a huge boulder…uhm, make that a mountain! Sheesh. Midwesterners…
From The Book of Common Prayer:
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge . . .
It's interesting to me that the governor signed this bill about the death penalty on Ash Wednesday.
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge . . .
It's interesting to me that the governor signed this bill about the death penalty on Ash Wednesday.
# posted by : 5:48 PM
: 5:48 PM
Dear Rev. Willard,
At the press conference after Governor Quinn signed the bill abolishing the death penalty in Illinois, Cathy Crino, who also lost a sister to murder, spoke eloquently about exactly that point. She noted that Ash Wednesday is a time of repentance, and that repentance means changing one's mind.
We changed our minds about the death penalty in Illinois today.
We've been delivered from a sentence of hatred, cruelty and revenge, to borrow the words of the beautiful prayer you quoted. It feels miraculous. All day, I kept humming the Doxology we sing at the beginning of each worship service at my Presbyterian church (that's for you, Prof. Osler!): "Praise God from whom all blessings flow...."
At the press conference after Governor Quinn signed the bill abolishing the death penalty in Illinois, Cathy Crino, who also lost a sister to murder, spoke eloquently about exactly that point. She noted that Ash Wednesday is a time of repentance, and that repentance means changing one's mind.
We changed our minds about the death penalty in Illinois today.
We've been delivered from a sentence of hatred, cruelty and revenge, to borrow the words of the beautiful prayer you quoted. It feels miraculous. All day, I kept humming the Doxology we sing at the beginning of each worship service at my Presbyterian church (that's for you, Prof. Osler!): "Praise God from whom all blessings flow...."
# posted by : 10:48 PM
: 10:48 PM
JLWOP? That's one of those fancy criminal law things isn't it? Be careful or I might start talking about secondary meaning or the Dawn Donut Doctrine
In recent years, it turned out, Illinois was batting .300 in death penalty cases, meaning 9 of 12 death-row inmates were cleared by DNA testing. I have no problem with a vicious killer being executed. Have a problem with a system that sucks at getting it right. And in fact, studies have shown repeatedly that the certainty of incarcerat¬ion has a stronger deterrent effect on criminals than the threat of the death penalty.
IPLG--
If only! We both know I didn't have a girlfriend my freshman year, and that was your seventh (and last) year of college.
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If only! We both know I didn't have a girlfriend my freshman year, and that was your seventh (and last) year of college.
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