10th Annual World Day Against the Death Penalty follow up

by Lydia Polley
Co-chair Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

October 10, 2012 was the 10^thWorld Day Against the Death Penalty to catalyze and unite activists worldwide in opposition to the death penalty.

Oklahoma State Senator Constance N. Johnson and the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP) co-sponsored a News Conference at the State Capitol with the Oklahoma Conference of Churches (OCC) where they presented their new Theological Statement in Opposition to the Death Penalty. The Associated Press published a story October 10^th with this headline: “Oklahoma church leaders to oppose death penalty.”

The story was also covered by the Oklahoman, Tulsa World, Shawnee News Star, OKC Fox, Eldorado Times (KS), Tulsa Ch 6, News9, Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights (MVFVR) (blog) in Boston, MA, Kansas Public Radio and others!

Our movement to abolish the death penalty has been given an amazing thrust forward! Our gratitude to OCC, Executive Director Dr. William Tabbernee, their Impact Committee Chair Dr. Stan Basler, and the 18 Denominations’ top leaders is immense. But this OCC leadership deserves more, much more than our “thank you.” They and this profound & prophetic Statement deserve our concerted attention and actions.

The Statement and a paper highlighting topics to promote dialog and contemplation & Additional Resources are attached.

We respectfully and urgently ask you to use these documents to raise the death penalty for study and discussion—with your family, friends, organizations, congregations, mosques, parishioners, pastors, priests, rabbis, legislators and officials.

Help us seize this opportunity to advance the movement for abolition in Oklahoma. Civil discussion is a crucial key to public education, which is a vital step towards building the political will necessary to abolish the death penalty.