Greetings All,
My friend Ron Keine read a message I copied to my list because it was an on-the-ground report from one of the protesters in Texas in the wake of the recent commutation there. He asked if I would consider sending out his thoughts on something that was said in that message. I have to admit that the following is not quite what I expected. I have never seen him be so eloquent and so SPOT ON. I hope you take a few minutes to read this. And while he did not mention it, I want to add a group that is also often demonized by some abolitionists – prison workers and other government employees, including politicians. The following message really applies to all of us.
Here’s wishing a peaceful and meaningful holiday season to our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters, with Ramadan starting up last week, at the same time as Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year. May we all be sealed in the book of life….
paz!
–abe
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HATRED IN OUR MIDST
a message from Ron Keine
Sometimes I am amazed by some of the things I have heard come out of the mouths of my brother and sister abolitionists.
It was a wonderful but stressful morning. I had given a short welcome speech to the general assembly at UCLA. The subject of the speech was how happy I was to see so many concerned people in attendance joining together to stop government killing. Later I poured my heart out telling my story of how I was wrongfully convicted and sent to Death Row. As many of my fellow exonorees can tell you, this is not easy–especially for a then fledgling speaker like me. After the speech, you are both physically and emotionally drained. The question-and-answer period was pure torture as the audience touched on some of the very subjects I did not want to talk about. Some of the aspects of my ordeal are still very sensitive to me. Still I complied.
As I walked outside to the patio for lunch, I saw many large tables full of people. One group beaconed to me the availability of an open seat.
The table chat was friendly until a man said that he had read a news article about me and wanted to know if I was indeed the past Chairman of my local Republican party. “Yes” I proudly replied. “Are you still a Republican?” he queried, to which I again said, “Indeed.”
The woman sitting next to me blurted out loudly that she hated Republicans. I politely thanked her for that information.
She again reiterated her statement but louder this time.
She went on to say that she couldn‚t believe that she was even sitting at the table with Republican scum. She looked at me with a face that blared of hate and anger. This woman was not only a lawyer but also the wife of a prominent doctor who had authored books speaking out against the death penalty.
I was floored. I said, ” Ma’am, I come from Michigan, and in Michigan it is the Republicans that keep the death penalty off the law books.”
She then said that she couldn‚t eat any more with a Republican at the table. In fact she might be getting sick if she stayed any longer. I said “No problem,” and I left the table. This is not the way an honored guest and exonoree should be treated.
As I stood by the building, finishing my lunch, I felt devastated. I had come all the way to California, with no pay, to help fight the death penalty. We are all here for a common cause–a cause I have dedicated my life to. I had received a standing ovation for my speech. Now I just wanted to go somewhere and hide.
I then spotted my fellow exonoree, Shujaa Graham, and went over to talk to him. I told him what had happened. Those of you who know Shujaa know that it didn’t take long for him to talk me into a lighter mood.
Another time I was in Chicago at a North Western Wrongful Conviction seminar. Sitting at the breakfast table I witnessed a lady bad mouthing Catholics as the Catholics at the table sat flabbergasted. This woman is a devout Christian but hates Catholics. I couldn’t help wonder, “What kind of religion is this that teaches her to hate other Christians?” She went on to say that Catholics worship plaster idols which finally got a verbal war going at the table.
These are all abolitionists. They are all there for a noble cause: a humanitarian effort to rid our land of its worst atrocity. Where does all this hate come from?
At that same meeting in Chicago, I and several of our exonorees gave a speech in a standing room only auditorium. The last speaker was Jesse Jackson Jr. I was totally horrified at what he said. He talked about many troubles in the world today and blamed them all on Republicans and white people. It was supposed to be a speech against capital punishment (which he did mention), but it was a campaign speech instead.
I followed him off stage. As I approached him, in anger, his security thugs stepped up to make sure I didn‚t violate him. As I looked around, it reminded me of what comedian Ron White said. “I didn’t know how many of these bouncers it would take to kick my ass but I could see how many they were going to use.”
Being careful not to transgress the line, I stood two feet in front of the Reverend and told him that I have never, in my life, heard such racism, bigotry and hate spewing from the mouth of a man of the cloth, especially a congressman with a master’s in Theology. “You were supposed to be here to help our cause. Instead, you set us back.”
He just looked at me. He was speechless. He turned and walked away with his entourage in tow.
While lobbying in New Mexico I was able to talk to several Republican house legislators whose votes were crucial. They refused to even listen to coalition people because they were “fuzzy headed liberals.” We won that vote, but the bill was shot down in the senate committee.
One woman recently published a letter proclaiming her distaste for rich people. Rich people give a lot of money to our anti-death-penalty coalitions.
I was at the fast and vigil at the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Among our own peace-loving, understanding and humanitarian anti-death-penalty activists there was all too much of this bigotry going around. When I gave a private speech to this group I dumped my planned oration to address this problem. I might have hurt a few feelings, but most agreed with me. Not wanting to let this simple letter become a tome, I’ll cut to the chase.
I have seen so many instances of this bigotry, racism, bias and hate among our own abolitionists that it makes me sick. Democrats hating Republicans, Republicans hating Democrats. People hating other people because of their religious or political preference, ethnic origin, race, and human status in life.
This kind of behavior does not belong in our midst. This may be the status quo to many groups of people in this world. This may be commonplace to the pro-death penalty vultures, but it should NOT be evident in our abolitionist movement. We are a unique people. We are all working to better this world and end the killing of our citizens. Why can’t we all just get along? Why can’t we accept that other people may have differing opinions without hating them for it? Remember that WE are supposed to be the good guys. We can expect this kind of treatment from our foes, but when it comes from within our own midst, it is truly shocking.
What we must remember is that whatever we do, however we act, reflects directly on our fellow abolitionists and the groups or coalitions we represent. We must stand out as an example of what is right. We cannot let a few bad apples tarnish our image and circumvent our credibility
— Ron Keine
