21 September, the International Day for Peace and the day chosen by the State of Georgia to deliberately and with malice aforethough end the life of Troy Anthony Davis.
This evening we spoke with Sister Helen Prejean - author of Dead Man Walking, and The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions moments after she heard the news that Troy Davis' appeal for clemency had been denied. We entered an unused classroom to avoid being disturbed, I set up the recorder and we sat there sharing a deep deep sadness for the last hours of a man's life. We talked about death row as a form of torture; of the pressure on victims' families to support the death penalty; of the families of victims in New Jersey who stood up and demanded an end to the death penalty in their state because it achieved nothing positive for anyone, least of all help them to get over the deaths of their loved ones. We talked about Christians who oppose abortion yet support the death penalty... well, mostly she talked and I listened. Well worth hearing. Friday live from 4-6 in Newcastle and Gateshead on 102.5, online at www.ne1fm.net and later in the evening (all things being equal) on www.celestialnavigation.podomatic.com
