Jeg kan bare beklage at jeg ikke har engasjert meg tidligere. Med så mye galskap som skjer i verden kan enkeltmenneskers skjebne lett overses. Alikevel bør vi alle ta oss tid til å tenke igjennom enkeltsaker med jevne mellomrom.
Det er enkeltsakene som teller, idet vi slutter å bry oss om dem, har vi tapt.
Kenneth Foster skal altså henrettes idag. For en forbrytelse en annen har tilstått - og allerede er henrettet for. Kenneth Foster er dømt til døden av et system uten menneskelighet. Foster har fått dødsdommen, selv om han per definisjon ikke er drapsmannen.
Besøk nettsiden "Free Kenneth Foster" her.
Kenneth Foster var en av fire involvert i et ransforsøk i 1996, der Michael LaHood jr. ble skutt og drept utenfor sin families hjem. Foster var ikke involvert i skytingen, eller episoden som fremprovoserte skytingen, men var passiv i en bil sammen med to andre femogtyve meter unna, uten å kunne påvirke hendelsesforløpet. Staten Texas har akseptert at Foster ikke kunne forutse at vennen skulle begå drapet. Alikevel ble Foster dømt som fullt ut ansvarlig, selv om Mauriceo Brown, pistolmannen, har tilstått, og allerede er henrettet.
Ingen påstår Foster er uten skyld. Men er han skyldig i en forbrytelse der han fortjener dødsstraff?
Texas synes det. Guvernøren synes det.
Hva er staten Texas' motiv? Å late som om systemet er ufeilbarlig, når det blir bevist for hele verden at det ikke er det, at det i virkeligheten er barbarisk?
Tror Texas at saken blir glemt, og at enkleste måte å få "problemet" ut av verden på er å henrette Kenneth, slik at en slipper å innrømme feil i systemet?
Er befolkningen i Texas virkelig så kyniske at de tillater statlig drap på mennesker bare for å være involvert i en situasjon?
Svaret på alt dette er sannsynligvis ja. I praksis er det ihvertfall slik virkeligheten fortoner seg.
Dette er Kenneth's egne ord om saken:
Dear Readers -
Once again, in along line of injustices delivered by this system, another has been added to their list.
After waging battle with courts with one of the strongest cases in Death Penalty history a date of execution was set upon me (on May 1st, 2007 By Judge Maria Teresa Herr) for August 30th 2007.
Though having gotten my death sentence vacated in March 2005 by a Federal Judge, that ruling was appealed, taken back and my following appeals asking for reconsideration was systematically denied. At the same time that my appeal was being systematically denied other cases of men who actually did kill was being heard. Can any of us make any sense of this? The only reasoning that we can get out of this is people with stronger injustices will be even more oppressed. Why? Two reasons:
1. Fear of being proven wrong.
2. Fear of opening a flood gate that will help tear down this broke system, the results - My murder.
Currently we are mobilizing for my last 2 steps (in both the odds are greatly against us-not because the issues aren't legit and solid, but because the system is rigged). Those 2 steps are:
1. Filing an emergency appeal back down to the first court (criminal courts of appeal) allowed through a law under what is called subsequent writs which allows you to cite newly discovered evidence that this court never heard before. We have that through Julius Steen (whose trial testimony this state CCA court heavily relied upon to deny my early appeal) who has come forward and exonerated me (those affidavits can be read on this site). Our position is this:
- no rational juror could convict me if Steen's testimony was heard.
- His testimony proves my innocence.
Will they want to grant this? NO! But all we can do is try.
2. If this appeal is denied we can only apply for clemency - and that has been a hopeless street. Governor Perry have never once granted clemency to a death row prisoner (even when his own board recommended it). But, we have a unique strategy that we plan to launch to Perry. Though it's too much to detail here it will be unseen before and intense. If you would like to be kept abreast of this historical process please join my e group where you can receive updates.
For those of you that would like to lend a hand I ask the following of you:
Go to the politician petition on this site and fill some out.
It's my belief that if this does not become a political issue then I have no chance. I believe that I have the type of case that can force Perry into Clemency.
You can also go to the governor's petition section and send in one of those.
At this point this is the best people out there can do, but if any of you have a desire to be hands on please do not hesitate to contact me or this web-master.
For anyone that reads my case will know that Texas is about to commit a vile injustice. What is about to happen is beyond extreme - it's sadistic.
They will try to justify my murder through what their law of parties says. Laws don't make justice. Once upon a time in Amerika slavery was a law. There was lynch laws. Jim Crow laws NONE of them were right and the Law of Parties statute is not being applied right.
The Death penalty is supposed to be saved for the most heinous of crimes. That's a lie. And to top it off - the other two men that sat in the car with me (doing just as i was - sitting there unknowingly) are serving sentences in TDC. These contradictions are beyond atrocious.
We will not be silent, we will fight until the end!
I will use this section to give news, journals and poems from time to time. We ask you to not be silent either, for silence is like approval.
This site shows the man I am today. I have dedicated my life for 10 years now. I will not walk head down. In my own right I have left a legacy - for my family, for my child, for fellow strugglers. The only fear is in being forgotten and others not following the path of struggle i have laid. My murder should act as a flame in the heart of fighters for justice - not a mourning device. Don't mourn - MOBILIZE!
I'm ready for what's to come and as long as I have breath I will remain a voice for the reformed and revitalized.
STAND WITH US
Without cease
Kenneth "Haramia" Foster
Oppdatering: Board of Pardons voterte i en uvanlig hendelse nettopp 6-1 mot dødsstraff klokken 18.00 norsk tid. Det betyr at de anbefaler Guvernør Rick Perry å oppheve dødsdommen. Kenneth Foster er nå flyttet til en hemmelig celleblokk for å "unngå oppstyr".Siste oppdatering: Guvernør Perry har omgjort dødstraffen til livsvarig etter stort mediapress, også fra Europa! Internettsamfunnet har i så måte bidratt vesentlig! Se ny post
Than here in the warmth of a silent defeat"
11 kommentarer:
Bra, Helge. Du gjør en grundig jobb. Jeg har linket til deg.
Takk Genese. Ditto ;o)
Jeg gråter for Kenneth Foster og Texas!
Texas får ikke en tåre fra meg...
Du trenger ikke beklage for ikke å ha tat opp saken tidligere - du har så mange goe saker.
Skremmende system! Skremmende folk! Og dette skjer altså I DAG (i dobbel betydning av ordet).
Kjære Gud, gjør noe :'(
Anonym,
Takk :O)
Laila,
Verden er gal, pleier jeg å si. Uten at det hjelper så mye i slike sammenhenger!
Ååå, jeg ser at det fremdeles er håp (ref. oppdateringen)!
Klarer ikke unngå å tenke på dette nå.
:'|
Det gikk bra! :O)
Er det sant, Hurra!!! One step for mankind...
(Først nå kom tårene hos meg.)
Laila,
Det er godt at mennesker kan gråte! :O)
Kampen mot dødsstraff fortsetter imidlertid, og Kenneth Foster vil fra fengselet fortsette sin kamp mot en straff som både har vist at den ikke har preventiv virkning - og også at den i det amerikanske systemet blir brukt i større grad mot svarte enn hvite.
Oddsene er at hadde Kenneth vært hvit og offeret som (en annen drepte) svart, så hadde Kenneth sannsynligvis fått en straff under ti år (som han allerede har sonet) eller eventuellt blitt frikjent.
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