The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Obamacare Turns 3
In March of this year, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will turn three years old. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a sweeping set of health care reforms into law. It was a historic moment in our nation’s history. Barack Obama was the first American president that was able to deliver a comprehensive health reform. This was a goal which eluded his predecessors. Since its enactment, it has been highly debated and challenged in the courts.
Last year, in a 5-4 ruling, the United State Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s signature legislation, The Affordable Care Act. Chief Justice John Roberts provided the critical swing vote in this ruling. We all deserve high-quality health care that we can all afford, and today brings this goal to reality.
The United State Supreme Court’s ruling means that:
Children will no longer be denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition, effective immediately.
Young adults can stay on their parent’s health insurance policy until age 26.
Adults will no longer be denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition, effective in 2014.
Health insurance providers can no longer cancel your policy because you get sick.
Creates state-based marketplaces where people can easily compare and shop for insurance beginning in 2014.
Prevents insurance companies from charging women more than men and overcharging those who need care the most.
Gives hard-working Americans tax credits so they can afford insurance beginning in 2014.
Provides Americans with rebates from insurers who spend too much on CEO bonuses or advertisements.
Ends insurance company power to raise rates without justification.
There can no longer be annual limits to health coverage. If your illness is incredibly expensive, you will no longer have to worry about reaching a limit to what your insurance company will pay.
Is there a need for the 2010 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (hereinafter “Affordable Care Act”)? Let’s look at the number of uninsured in America. This nation’s deep economic recession and resulting decline in employer sponsored coverage contributed to a rise in the uninsured in recent years. Research indicates that these factors left fifty (50) million Americans without coverage in 2009.
While public insurance programs prevented some individuals from losing health insurance coverage, these programs do not reach all of those who cannot afford insurance. With that understanding, the Affordable Care Act seeks to address the gaps in our private-public insurance system. This new law requires most Americans to have health insurance and many will gain coverage through expanded Medicaid eligibility and subsidized private coverage for individuals with incomes up to four hundred (400) percent of poverty starting in 2014.
The United States Supreme Court’s ruling in this case was a victory for Americans concerned about access to healthcare for all. As stated in an article in Mother Jones, “The largest expansion of the American welfare state since the Great Society stands, upheld by the most conservative Supreme Court in decades. Yet the decision is not simply a landmark ruling, it is a monumental setback for a conservative movement strategy meant to sabotage, by all available means, the presidency of Barack Obama.”
Sources: The White House. CBS News. Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.healthcare.gov; http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcare-overview; http://www.democraticleader.house.gov/; http://www.dpcsenate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill; The Kaiser Family Foundation, “Focus on Health Reform.” “Obamacare Lives: What Next?” by Adam Serwer, Mother Jones, June 29th, 2012.
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
No Place For Show Me Your Papers Laws Revisited in 2013
In 2011, I wrote a piece entitled “No Place For Show My Your Papers Laws” which will be revisited here in light of the US Supreme Courts ruling on the Arizonia law. The state of Arizona started a wave of anti-immigration laws which have been replicated by four (4) states to date. It is no wonder that the topic of immigration reform was a highly debated topic in the Race For the Whitehouse in 2012.
In response to the enactment of these laws, many organizations and individuals have taken decisive action to indicate that there is no place in a free nation for “show me your papers” laws. The ACLU and other national advocacy organizations remind us that that these anti-immigration laws[i] — already signed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Alabama[ii] — pose a grave threat to our civil liberties.
It is the ACLU’s assertion that these “show me your papers” laws which were passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Alabama intrude on the federal government’s immigration authority and institutionalize racial profiling and discrimination in states and localities throughout the nation — in direct violation of the Constitution’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. As a result, the ACLU has brought class action suits to halt this wave of anti-immigration laws and is urging the Department of Justice to take immediate action to challenge these laws in court.
In July of last year, I wrote about Alabama’s anti-immigration law because it was termed the strictest anti-immigrant law in the nation. There is great opposition to the law not only within that state but also across our nation. Alabama’s anti-immigration law, HB56, took effect in September of 2011. Before the law could go into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Immigration Law Center, the Asian American Justice Center and the Asian Law Caucus filed a class action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Alabama’s anti-immigrant law (HB56)[iii]. After the suit was filed in this case a press release was sent out by the ACLU which read:
“Alabama has brazenly enacted this law despite the clear writing on the wall: Federal courts have stopped each and every one of these discriminatory laws from going into effect,” said Cecilia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Local Alabama communities and people across the country are shocked and dismayed by the state’s effort to erode our civil rights and fundamental American values.”
Many community leaders oppose the anti-immigration law for a range of reasons. “This legislation not only violates our values as a community but will also create astronomical costs at a time when our state can least afford it,” said Shay Farley, Legal Director, Alabama Appleseed. “If these legislators have their way, millions of taxpayer dollars will be squandered and our already underwater state economy will take another serious hit.”
In response to the class action suit brought by the ACLU against the State of Alabama, on September 28, 2011, a federal court judge issued a ruling in that case. Here are comments from the ACLU on the court’s ruling in that case, as they appear in the press release, “While the court has blocked some extremely problematic provisions from going into effect, thereby allowing Alabamians to continue engaging in everyday activities such as seeking employment and giving rides to neighbors, we are deeply concerned by the decision to allow some unconstitutional provisions to stand,” said Andre Segura, staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Laws that require police to demand ‘papers’ from people who they suspect appear undocumented encourage racial profiling, threaten public safety, undermine American values and have no place in our society.”
With that said, the ACLU is continuing the fight to halt the wave of racial profiling laws via filing law suits and other advocacy efforts. Currently, it is requesting that the Obama administration do its part to stop the anti-immigrant activists from putting these laws on the books. To assist in this effort to get Justice Department involvement in this issue, the ACLU is asking each of us to, Tell Attorney General Holder: There is no place in our country for “show me your papers” laws. Toward that goal the ACLU prepared a petition which appears on its website. Please join me in signing and circulating the petition entitled “No place in America for “show me your papers” laws!”.
For further information about anti-immigration laws, visit the website(s) for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the National Immigration Forum, or the Asian American Justice Center.
Source(s): ACLU website. ACLU Press Releases. ACLU Press Release September 28, 2011. Alabama Coalition for Immigration Justice Press Release, National Immigration Forum, Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the Asian American Justice Center, “Anti-immigration law march in Birmingham draws a crowd and keeps commenters divided, too”, The Birmingham News, June 26, 2011, “Report: Anti-Immigration Law Cost Millions, Jamilah King, COLORLINES, Thursday, January 27, 2011, Huffington Post, and America’s Voice on Line, “Alabama anti-immigration law facing court challenge”, Tom Baxter, Southern Political Report, July 8, 2011, “HB 56: Alabama May Pass Nation’s Harshest Anti-Immigrant Law”, Nsenga Burton, the Root, June 9, 2011.
Photo Credit Microsoft Clip Art
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[i] .Alabama is the fifth state to pass anti-immigration law. Some opponents of the law have deemedAlabama’s anti-immigration law to be the most comprehensive/extreme in the nation. To date, the anti-immigration laws have not been fully implemented due to legal challenges by a coalition of national advocacy organizations. The coalition members include: the ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Asian Law Caucus, the Asian American Justice Center, Latino Justice PRLDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
BOUGHT AND PAID FOR?
What is at stake in the 2012 elections? The 2012 Presidential Election is close and election day not simply for the Office for the President but also for members of the United States House and United States Senate is fast approaching. The Republicans control the United States House of Representatives. The Democrats control the United States Senate. What is at stake in the 2012 election cycle is control of the Office of the President, the United States House of Representatives as well as the United States Senate and most importantly the course of the nation.
All this political power at the national level up for grabs has brought out big money in a big way. The political muscle of the 1%ers is mostly been deployed through multi-million dollar advertising buys targeting candidates on both television and the Internet. The Republican Super PACs have spent $260 million on advertising campaigns, according to FEC reports and press releases and expected to spend another 40 million dollars on this election cycle.[i] The majority of that — $171.5 million — has gone to ads intended to help defeat President Barack Obama. Another $66.3 million has been put toward Senate races and $11.6 million toward House races. [ii]
In the 2012 election cycle, we have seen the most money ever spent on political ads in American history. With that said, will Americans and the world wake on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, to find that big money has bought and paid for the Office of the President and control of the United States House and the United States Senate? What will a victory for big money supported candidates mean for America and the world? To answer that question, let’s look at, What is at stake in the 2012 elections?
The next United States President will select several appointees for the United States Supreme Court. Additionally, on the table is the question of how we as a national will handle key questions concerning the public welfare including but not limited to: taxes, unemployment, health care, social welfare programs, defense, women’s right to self-determination, and our nation’s infrastructure. How will it affect US foreign policy?
The vision for our nation’s road to recovery by the Presidential Candidates has never been starker. The Republican Candidate for President, Governor Mitt Romney’s view of America has received much financial support from individuals that have been termed the 1% (i.e. Charles and David Koch) as it benefits them greatly. The Democrat Candidate for President, President Barack Obama, has received diverse support from persons of varied income levels. Obama has received support from both the 99% as well as members of the 1% such as billionaire business man, George Soros..
As the proponents of voter suppression measures (.i.e. Voter ID Laws, etc.) struck down by many courts in several key states understand, the only power that can overcome big money is people power. As was aptly stated by President Johnson when discussing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”
Each election day, countless eligible voters deprive themselves of their voting right through complacency or apathy. Don’t be among them—exercise your right to vote.
Source(s): “Karl Rove-Backed Groups Are Largest Single Outside Force In 2012 Election”, Huffington Post, 11/04/2012. “These Americans Have Made The Most Billions Under Obama”, Forbes, 02/29/12.
Photo Credit Microsoft Clip Art
No Place For Show Me Your Papers Laws Revisited
Last fall, I wrote a piece entitled “No Place For Show My Your Papers Laws” which will be revisited here in light of the US Supreme Courts ruling on the Arizonia law. The state of Arizona started a wave of anti-immigration laws which have been replicated by four (4) states to date.
In response to the enactment of these laws, many organizations and individuals have taken decisive action to indicate that there is no place in a free nation for “show me your papers” laws. The ACLU and other national advocacy organizations remind us that that these anti-immigration laws[i] — already signed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Alabama[ii] — pose a grave threat to our civil liberties.
It is the ACLU’s assertion that these “show me your papers” laws which were passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Alabama intrude on the federal government’s immigration authority and institutionalize racial profiling and discrimination in states and localities throughout the nation — in direct violation of the Constitution’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. As a result, the ACLU has brought class action suits to halt this wave of anti-immigration laws and is urging the Department of Justice to take immediate action to challenge these laws in court.
In July of last year, I wrote about Alabama’s anti-immigration law because it was termed the strictest anti-immigrant law in the nation. There is great opposition to the law not only within that state but also across our nation. Alabama’s anti-immigration law, HB56, took effect in September of 2011. Before the law could go into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Immigration Law Center, the Asian American Justice Center and the Asian Law Caucus filed a class action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Alabama’s anti-immigrant law (HB56)[iii]. After the suit was filed in this case a press release was sent out by the ACLU which read:
“Alabama has brazenly enacted this law despite the clear writing on the wall: Federal courts have stopped each and every one of these discriminatory laws from going into effect,” said Cecilia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Local Alabama communities and people across the country are shocked and dismayed by the state’s effort to erode our civil rights and fundamental American values.”
Many community leaders oppose the anti-immigration law for a range of reasons. “This legislation not only violates our values as a community but will also create astronomical costs at a time when our state can least afford it,” said Shay Farley, Legal Director, Alabama Appleseed. “If these legislators have their way, millions of taxpayer dollars will be squandered and our already underwater state economy will take another serious hit.”
In response to the class action suit brought by the ACLU against the State of Alabama, on September 28, 2011, a federal court judge issued a ruling in that case. Here are comments from the ACLU on the court’s ruling in that case, as they appear in the press release, “While the court has blocked some extremely problematic provisions from going into effect, thereby allowing Alabamians to continue engaging in everyday activities such as seeking employment and giving rides to neighbors, we are deeply concerned by the decision to allow some unconstitutional provisions to stand,” said Andre Segura, staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Laws that require police to demand ‘papers’ from people who they suspect appear undocumented encourage racial profiling, threaten public safety, undermine American values and have no place in our society.”
With that said, the ACLU is continuing the fight to halt the wave of racial profiling laws via filing law suits and other advocacy efforts. Currently, it is requesting that the Obama administration do its part to stop the anti-immigrant activists from putting these laws on the books. To assist in this effort to get Justice Department involvement in this issue, the ACLU is asking each of us to, Tell Attorney General Holder: There is no place in our country for “show me your papers” laws. Toward that goal the ACLU prepared a petition which appears on its website. Please join me in signing and circulating the petition entitled “No place in America for “show me your papers” laws!”.
For further information about anti-immigration laws, visit the website(s) for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the National Immigration Forum, or the Asian American Justice Center.
Source(s): ACLU website. ACLU Press Releases. ACLU Press Release September 28, 2011. Alabama Coalition for Immigration Justice Press Release, National Immigration Forum, Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the Asian American Justice Center, “Anti-immigration law march in Birmingham draws a crowd and keeps commenters divided, too”, The Birmingham News, June 26, 2011, “Report: Anti-Immigration Law Cost Millions, Jamilah King, COLORLINES, Thursday, January 27, 2011, Huffington Post, and America’s Voice on Line, “Alabama anti-immigration law facing court challenge”, Tom Baxter, Southern Political Report, July 8, 2011, “HB 56: Alabama May Pass Nation’s Harshest Anti-Immigrant Law”, Nsenga Burton, the Root, June 9, 2011.
Photo Credit Microsoft Clip Art
[i] .Alabama is the fifth state to pass anti-immigration law. Some opponents of the law have deemedAlabama’s anti-immigration law to be the most comprehensive/extreme in the nation. To date, the anti-immigration laws have not been fully implemented due to legal challenges by a coalition of national advocacy organizations. The coalition members include: the ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Asian Law Caucus, the Asian American Justice Center, Latino Justice PRLDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
[ii] It has been reported that the Alabama anti-immigration bill (HB 56) replicates some portions ofArizona’s anti-immigration law. As it was written,Alabama’s anti-immigration law:
- Allows local law enforcement to demand papers from and detain those they believe are in the country illegally.
- Makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to hold a job in Alabama, and make it a crime for any immigrant in the state to be caught without documentation proving status.
- Makes it illegal to sign a contract with undocumented immigrants, to knowingly rent property to them, to knowingly hire them for jobs.
- Requires businesses to use E-Verify, the government database of names, to check employees’ legal status.
- Mandates that parents report the immigration status of their children to public schools to assist the schools to: maintain legal status records on all their students; and document the costs of educating undocumented children.
[iii] The decision in this case came down at the end of September of last year.
Mumia Abu Jamal: Day of Action
December 9th, 2011, will mark the 30th year that Mumia Abu Jamal has been behind prison bars on Pennsylvania’s death row. Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther, was convicted of and later sentenced to death for fatally shooting and killing white Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner, thirty (30) years ago on Friday, December 9, 1981. “According to trial testimony, Abu-Jamal witnessed his brother in a scuffle with the young patrolman during an early morning traffic stop and ran toward the scene. When police found Abu-Jamal, he was wounded with bullets and Faulkner, who had been shot several times, was found dead.”
The US Supreme Court recently confirmed that Mumia Abu Jamal’s death sentence was unconstitutional, which will mean that unless the District Attorney calls for a new re-sentencing trial, Mumia Abu Jamal will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole. This is the first time that the US Supreme Court has acknowledged unfairness in Mumia’s case and the fact that he likely will not face execution. This is a victory. According to supporters, it is a small victory; their goal is to see that Mumia Abu Jamal is freed. Mumia and his supporters are committed to continue to struggle on for: his freedom; the end of the death penalty; an end to mass incarceration in this nation.
Earlier this week, District Attorney Seth Williams said that seeking the death penalty could draw out the case of Abu-Jamal for years, with possible appeals. According to Mumia, [He] spend[s] [his] “…days preparing for life, not preparing for death… They haven’t stopped me from doing what I want every day. I believe in life, I believe in freedom, so my mind is not consumed with death. It’s with love, life and those things. In many ways, on many days, only my body is here, because I am thinking about what’s happening around the world.” Mumia supporters are calling for actions across the country and a march in Philadelphia. They want to mobilize a large showing of support for Mumia with a clear message: FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL!
The case of Mumia Abu Jamal and countless others across our nation call into question the validity of capital punishment. The United States has struggled with the question of the appropriateness of capital punishment as a criminal sanction for decades. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, there are thirty-four (34) states with the death penalty and sixteen (16) without this criminal sanction. Opponents to capital punishment assert that the criminal justice system is riddled with injustice and error under these conditions the death penalty must be halted. Some argue that there is a wealth of evidence that proves the ineffectiveness of the death penalty in achieving its states goals.
Many people assert that Mumia has been an inspiration to those fighting for justice on a range of issues including but not limited to: those who fought to stop Troy Davis’s execution, those who continue the struggle against unjust wars and American imperialism, those in the Occupy movement fighting against corporate greed, and many more. Some argue that Mumia has educated millions of people about the inner-workings of the injustices in our prison system. Through his writings and radio shows, Mumia has encouraged us all to fight on. As he says, “I have held out hope for the people, because I believe in the people, because the people make change. If the people don’t organize and protest, then no change will happen. It doesn’t matter who is sitting in what office or in what judgeship or whatever. And that’s just a fact. That’s just the truth.”
Mumia supporters prepared a list of ten (10) reasons why we should support Mumia Abu Jamal and they appear on the Campaign to End the Death Penalty’s website. Mumia’s supporters assert that his case highlights the massive flaws of the entire death penalty system–racial bias, police misconduct and brutality, as well as prosecutorial and judicial prejudice.
Here are five (5) actions that you can take to help with the release of Mumia Abu Jamal:
1. Organize an educational event about Mumia’s case. This could be a teach-in at your local Occupy, a meeting at your school or church, a screening of one of the many films about Mumia (In Prison My Whole Life, Mumia: A Case for Reasonable Doubt, Justice on Trial: The Case of Mumia Abu Jamal, etc.). Troy Davis’s case showed the opening for a new generation to get involved with the fight against the death penalty.
2. Hold a petitioning event in your community for Mumia. Take petitions to your local Occupy site, meetings and events, bus stops, busy intersections, campuses, and collect signatures for Mumia.
3. Use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to share the online petition for Mumia and show support by changing your profile picture.
4. Get Mumia’s voice heard. Mumia himself is his biggest advocate. He is an amazing journalist who has authored six books, written countless articles about a wide range of subjects, and broadcasts a radio show from his prison cell. Spread his voice over social media sites and at teach-ins and meetings.
5. If you are able, head to Philadelphia to be part of the historical actions there, which include Cornell West, Michelle Alexander, Alice Walker, Sandra Jones, and many others.
This year, we have seen the power of ordinary people standing up for justice. Mumia supporters have vowed not to rest until they see the end of the death penalty and Mumia freed. According to recent opinion polls[i], the majority of American voters (61%) prefer other criminal sanctions for murder convictions as opposed to the death penalty and some in law enforcement question its effectiveness. A 2009 poll commissioned by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) found police chiefs ranked the death penalty last among the strategies employed to reduce violent crimes[ii] and viewed it as the least efficient use of taxpayers’ money.[iii] Opponents of the death penalty, both in the United States and around the world, assert that not only is it costly, it is also immoral, ineffective, and discriminatory. They assert that the death penalty is often used disproportionately against the poor and people of color. Human beings and systems created by humans are fallible. With that said, the risk of executing innocent persons can never be completely eliminated from the criminal justice system as evidence by the annual number of death row inmate exonerations.
For persons opposed to capital punishment or those seeking a moratorium, the Davis case undergirds their assertion that wrongful convictions occur and the death penalty must be halted. For further information, an important resource is the Death Penalty Information Center’s website. If you are interested in working to abolish the death penalty, many resources can be found on the Amnesty International website including: petitions, fact sheets, organizing materials, as well as helpful suggestions on how to get involved and take action to end the death penalty.
Sources:Campaign to End the Death Penalty. Wikipedia. The Council of the American Law Institute (ALI); Death Penalty Information Center; Politico (March 9, 2011); Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial, “Juries Know Better”, May 20, 2011; Amnesty International; NAACP; savannahnow.com/…/pope-makes-plea-spare-life-troy-davis; and the Innocence Project. Star Quotes. “Philadelphia DA Drops Death Penalty Against Mumia Abu Jamal”, BET News, Danielle Wright, December 7, 2011.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art.
[i] A 2010 poll by Lake Research Partners and 2009 poll commissioned by DPIC.
[ii] Death Penalty Information Center Website
[iii] Ibid.
Troy Davis’ Execution Sparks Recommitment to Abolishing the Death Penalty
After valiant efforts to stop the execution of Troy Davis for more than two decades, late last night, more than one million people from all around the globe bid him “goodbye”.
After the execution of Troy Davis, Laura Moye at Amnesty International wrote in her action alert sent to members, “…My heart is heavy. I am sad and angry. The state of Georgia has proven what we already know. Governments cannot be trusted with the awful power over life and death… Georgia didn’t just kill Troy Davis; they killed the faith and confidence that many Georgians, Americans, and Troy Davis supporters worldwide used to have in our criminal justice system.”
It has been reported that, Troy Davis stated repeatedly that his case was about so much more than him. As a result, Troy’s words give those involved in seeking justice in the Davis case fodder to carry on and stay committed to this fight and the larger fight to make sure there will be no more Troy Davis’ in this nation.
Because of this case, many people from both ends of the political spectrum have been made aware of the countless flaws in the criminal justice system. As was stated in the action alert by Georgians For An Alternative to the Death Penalty, “…we need you to stay awake.” As people are in the early stages of mourning the execution of Troy Davis, it has been reported that the State of Georgia has issued a warrant for another death row inmate with an execution date between October 5-October 12, 2011. Opponents of the death penalty have recommitted themselves to fight against the relentless killing machine also known as the death penalty.
“As Troy Davis wrote in a letter when he was facing execution in 2008:
… no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the
death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.”
Toward that goal, I am signing Amnesty International’s pledge to fight the death
penalty and donating to the Innocence Project. If you are seeking a way to turn your disappointment over the outcome in the Troy Davis case into action, I hope that you will join me and countless others in signing the pledge and supporting the to free the staggering number of innocent people who are currently incarcerated. With that said, you can sign Amnesty International USA’s pledge here: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264324&id=31297-18765278-GwkN2Yx&t=1. Further, you can donate to the Innocence Project, a nonprofit committed to fight to “free the staggering numbers of innocent people who remain incarcerated,” below: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264322&id=31297-18765278-GwkN2Yx&t=2
Sources: Amnesty International. Georgians For An Alternative to the Death Penalty. Moveon.org.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Troy Davis: A Matter of Life & Death
Across the nation and throughout the world, support for Troy Anthony Davis, a death
row inmate in the Georgia penal system, continues to build for his clemency. Despite the absence of any physical evidence linking him to the crime, Troy Davis was found guilty in a court of law for the shooting and killing Officer Mark Allen MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia, and sentenced to death. The Troy Davis case has been appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States and has drawn both national and international attention due to the lack of evidence supporting the state’s case.
After hearing the appeal in the Davis case, the United States Supreme Court ordered an unprecedented evidentiary hearing which took place in June 2010. At said evidentiary hearing, seven (7) of the nine (9) key witnesses against Mr. Davis recanted or changed
their testimony. Further, a new witness testified that his relative, not Troy Davis, shot the police officer in question. Finally, NO physical evidence links Troy Davis to the shooting of Officer MacPhail. The judge admitted at the evidentiary hearing that the case against Troy Davis was not ironclad. Nonetheless, the court found that Mr. Davis failed to prove conclusively his innocence. Following the evidentiary hearing in the Davis case, the United
States Supreme Court denied Mr. Davis’ latest appeal.
National Public Radio reported that the execution date was set in the Troy Davis for, Wednesday, September 21, 2011. This the fourth time Troy Davis’ execution has been set in four (4) years. Troy once came within two (2) hours of being put to death. Mr. Davis’ attorneys say his legal appeals are exhausted and the chances of him winning another reprieve have dwindled. The Davis case highlights many of the problems in the criminal justice system. The case also reminds us of the potentially lethal consequences which result from a flawed criminal justice system in jurisdictions where the death penalty is permissible. From CNN to the Huffington Post, media outlets are telling the story of Troy Davis.
This week, more than six hundred and sixty (660,000) petition signatures were delivered to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in support of halting Troy Davis’ execution and granting him clemency. The five (5) member Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, which meets Monday, is probably the last hope for Troy Davis, who is scheduled to be executed next week on September 21. A majority vote by the board will decide whether Davis’ sentence is commuted or if his execution will proceed.
Conservatives, Liberals, Opponents, and Proponents agree that Troy Davis should be granted clemency by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Liberal: Former US President Jimmy Carter
“Executing Davis “risks taking the life of an innocent man and would be a grave miscarriage of justice,” said former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat from Georgia and death penalty opponent who wrote a letter on Davis’ behalf.
We believe that in this particular case there’s enough evidence to the contrary to prevent this execution from taking place,” Carter said Tuesday.
Conservative: Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson
Conservative figures have also become involved. Former Deputy Attorney General Larry
Thompson, who served under President George W. Bush, urged the pardons board to
grant Davis clemency because “it is clear now that the doubts plaguing his case can never be adequately addressed.”
Death Penalty Proponent: Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
And former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and was elected to serve four terms in the United States Congress) said in a letter that “even for death penalty supporters such as myself, the level of doubt inherent in this case is troubling.””
William Sessions, former director of the FBI, a former federal judge/prosecutor
According to William S. Sessions, former director of the FBI, a former federal judge and federal prosecutor, “…when it comes to the sentence of death, there should be no room
for doubt. I believe there is no more serious crime than the murder of a law
enforcement officer who was putting his or her life on the line to protect innocent bystanders. However, justice is not done for Officer Mark Allen MacPhail Sr. if the wrong man is punished.
In 2007, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a stay of execution for Davis and took the admirable position that it would “not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused.
Because this case continues to be permeated by doubt, the Board of Pardons and Paroles’
stance continues to be the right one. In reality, there will always be cases, including capital cases, in which doubts about guilt cannot be erased to an acceptable level of certainty. The Davis case is one of these, and it is for cases like this that executive clemency exists.
Those responsible for clemency play a vital role in ensuring our legal system
includes a measure of compassion and humanity. The death penalty should not be
carried out, and Davis’ sentence should be commuted to life.”
In response to the recent setting of the execution date for Troy Davis, this blog has sought to draw attention to: this case; the problems with the imposition of a death sentence
in a flawed criminal justice system; the need for you to act to halt this execution; and the importance for you to join the movement to abolish the death penalty.
For further information about this pressing topic, an important resource is the Death Penalty Information Center’s website. If you are interested in working to abolish the death penalty, many resources can be found on the Amnesty International website including: petitions, fact sheets, organizing materials, as well as helpful suggestions on how to get involved and take action to end the death penalty.
It is my hope that you will join me and countless others around the world seeking to make sure that justice is served in the Davis Case. It is important to act now to let the state of Georgia – and the world – know that you stand by Troy Davis in his fight for justice by joining the efforts undertaken by Amnesty and/or NAACP to halt this injustice. This is a matter of life and death, and time is running out.
Source: National Public Radio. Atlanta Journal Constitution. Amnesty International website. NAACP website. Bureau of Prisons. Death Penalty Information Center Website. http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/troy-davis-in-spotlight-1181843.html.
http://savannahnow.com/column/2011-09-14/barr-troy-davis-merits-clemency#.TnJzq9TIiuK. http://www.ajc.com/opinion/should-davis-be-executed-1181530.html.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
A Cry for Justice Heard Round the World: In a Matter of Life or Death
Across the nation and throughout the world, support for Troy Anthony Davis, a death
row inmate in the Georgia penal system, continues to build for his clemency. Despite the absence of any physical evidence linking him to the crime, Troy Davis was found guilty in a court of law for the shooting and killing Officer Mark Allen MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia, and sentenced to death. The Troy Davis case has been appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States and has drawn both national and international attention due to lack of evidence supporting the state’s case.
After hearing the appeal in the Davis case, the United States Supreme Court ordered an unprecedented evidentiary hearing which took place in June 2010. At said evidentiary hearing, seven (7) of the nine (9) key witnesses against Mr. Davis recanted or changed
their testimony. Further, a new witness testified that his relative, not Troy Davis, shot the police officer in question. Finally, NO physical evidence links Troy Davis to the shooting of Officer MacPhail. The judge admitted at the evidentiary hearing that the case against Troy Davis was not ironclad. Nonetheless, the court found that Mr. Davis failed to prove conclusively his innocence. Following the evidentiary hearing in the Davis case, the United
States Supreme Court denied Mr. Davis’ latest appeal.
National Public Radio reported that the execution date was set in the Troy Davis for, Wednesday, September 21, 2011. This the fourth time Troy Davis’ execution has been set in four (4) years. Troy once came within two (2) hours of being put to death. Mr. Davis’ attorneys say his legal appeals are exhausted and the chances of him winning another reprieve have dwindled. The Davis case highlights many of the problems in the criminal justice system. The case also reminds us of the potentially lethal consequences which result from a flawed criminal justice system in jurisdictions where the death penalty is permissible. From CNN to the Huffington Post, media outlets are telling the story of Troy Davis.
This week, more than six hundred and sixty (660,000) petition signatures were delivered to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in support of halting Troy Davis’ execution and granting him clemency. The five (5) member Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, which meets Monday, is probably the last hope for Troy Davis, who is scheduled to be executed next week on September 21. A majority vote by the board will decide whether Davis’ sentence is commuted or if his execution will proceed.
Conservatives, Liberals, Opponents, and Proponents agree that Troy Davis should be granted clemency by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Liberal: Former US President Jimmy Carter
“Executing Davis “risks taking the life of an innocent man and would be a grave miscarriage of justice,” said former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat from Georgia and death penalty opponent who wrote a letter on Davis’ behalf.
We believe that in this particular case there’s enough evidence to the contrary to prevent this execution from taking place,” Carter said Tuesday.
Conservative: Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson
Conservative figures have also become involved. Former Deputy Attorney General Larry
Thompson, who served under President George W. Bush, urged the pardons board to
grant Davis clemency because “it is clear now that the doubts plaguing his case can never be adequately addressed.”
Death Penalty Proponent: Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
And former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and was elected to serve four terms in the United States Congress) said in a letter that “even for death penalty supporters such as myself, the level of doubt inherent in this case is troubling.””
William Sessions, former director of the FBI, a former federal judge/prosecutor
According to William S. Sessions, former director of the FBI, a former federal judge and federal prosecutor, “…when it comes to the sentence of death, there should be no room
for doubt. I believe there is no more serious crime than the murder of a law
enforcement officer who was putting his or her life on the line to protect innocent bystanders. However, justice is not done for Officer Mark Allen MacPhail Sr. if the wrong man is punished.
In 2007, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a stay of execution for Davis and took the admirable position that it would “not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused.
Because this case continues to be permeated by doubt, the Board of Pardons and Paroles’
stance continues to be the right one. In reality, there will always be cases, including capital cases, in which doubts about guilt cannot be erased to an acceptable level of certainty. The Davis case is one of these, and it is for cases like this that executive clemency exists.
Those responsible for clemency play a vital role in ensuring our legal system
includes a measure of compassion and humanity. The death penalty should not be
carried out, and Davis’ sentence should be commuted to life.”
In response to the recent setting of the execution date for Troy Davis, this blog has sought to draw attention to: this case; the problems with the imposition of a death sentence
in a flawed criminal justice system; the need for you to act to halt this execution; and the importance for you to join the movement to abolish the death penalty.
For further information about this pressing topic, an important resource is the Death Penalty Information Center’s website. If you are interested in working to abolish the death penalty, many resources can be found on the Amnesty International website including: petitions, fact sheets, organizing materials, as well as helpful suggestions on how to get involved and take action to end the death penalty.
It is my hope that you will join me and countless others around the world seeking to make sure that justice is served in the Davis Case. It is important to act now to let the state of Georgia – and the world – know that you stand by Troy Davis in his fight for justice by joining the efforts undertaken by Amnesty and/or NAACP to halt this injustice. This is a matter of life and death, and time is running out.
Source: National Public Radio. Atlanta Journal Constitution. Amnesty International website. NAACP website. Bureau of Prisons. Death Penalty Information Center Website. http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/troy-davis-in-spotlight-1181843.html.
http://savannahnow.com/column/2011-09-14/barr-troy-davis-merits-clemency#.TnJzq9TIiuK. http://www.ajc.com/opinion/should-davis-be-executed-1181530.html.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
