What: Public Forum--End the Death Penalty: No Right Way To Do the Wrong Thing
When: Thursday, March 8, 7 PM
Where: United Church of Hyde Park, 1448 E. 53rd Street (at Blackstone)
 
Speakers include:
*State Senator Rickey Hendon, Lead Sponsor of SB328, legislation to abolish
the death penalty
*Live call-in from a Death Row prisoner
*Joanne Glass-Watson, Grief Counselor, Defense Consultant on capital cases
and author of a forthcoming book on her experiences with death penalty cases
*Shirley McFarland, spouse of Jerry Henderson, who is fighting charges in a
death penalty case.
*Cathy McMillan, Campaign to End the Death Penalty
 
Recent months have seen the death penalty put on hold in a number of states,
perhaps highlighted most dramatically by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's decision to
halt executions there after the 34-minute torture-murder of Angel Nieves
Diaz, who appeared to be conscious and show signs of pain during most of his
poisoning by lethal injection.  In 11 states, executions have been halted
based on concern that the procedure used in lethal injections is cruel and
unusual punishment.  Meanwhile, a legislative commission in New Jersey has
recommended abolition of the death penalty, and in 16 states legislators
have introduced bills to accomplish just that.
 
Here in Illinois, where former Gov. George Ryan declared a moratorium on
executions in 2000 and cleared out the state's death row in 2003, State
Senators Ricky Hendon, Mattie Hunter, Kwame Raoul and Jacqueline Collins
have introduced legislation to abolish the death penalty.  Could this be the
beginning of the end of the death penalty in Illinois and around the
country?  Come hear the voices of those directly affected by legal lynching,
and get involved in the fight to stop it.
 
For more information, call the Campaign to End the Death Penalty at
(773)955-4841 or email julien (at) nodeathpenalty.org