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| Mid-Missouri Fellowship of
Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) is a group composed of people from many faiths, and no particular faith -- all coming together to support nonviolence and justice. Offering people of conscience an action response to a morally-impaired U.S. foreign policy. |
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A Report on the Injustice in the Application of the Death Penalty in Missouri (1978-1996)(Microsoft Word document) News
Common Dreams Background Iraq Crisis Issue Guide by Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies U.S. History with Iraq, 1980 - 2 August 1990 Commentary Common Dreams News Center April 12, 2003 April 8, 2003 March 30, 2003 March 29, 2003 March 25, 2003 March 24, 2003 U.S. steps up secret surveillance March 23, 2003 March 22, 2003 March 20, 2003 |
Local News and Announcements... Don't miss anything...please scroll downStarvin' for JusticePlease join other concerned citizens holding two solidarity, "Starvin' for Justice" vigils on Tuesday, 1 July: in Columbia from 5:00- 6:00 p.m. at the Boone County courthouse and in Kansas City from 4:45- 5:45p.m. in front of the JC Nichols fountain in the plaza area downtown. The Western Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (WMCADP), Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconcilation and Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty (MADP) will be co-sponsoring Tuesday's local events. Folks will be gathering in solidarity with participants of a four-day fast which will be held at the U.S. Supreme Court, June 29- July 2. The high court ruled the death penalty to be unconstitutional on June 29, 1972, with the Furman court decision, and then upheld revised state death-penalty laws constitutional on July 2, 1976 through the Gregg decision. The WMCADP and Mid-MO FOR encourage you to fast anytime during that four-day period, especially during the day Tuesday. Many people in St. Louis, the Columbia-Jefferson City area, in Pittsburg, among other places have already committed to fasting Tuesday. We usually hold Vigils for Life on Tuesdays as Missouri officials typically set execution times for the opening moments of Wednesdays, just after midnight. We will have literature on hand at the vigils drawing attention to the DC fast, the Supreme Court decisions being remembered, the Wiggins decision, and individuals executed in Missouri who likely would have been spared had this decision come years ago (In Wiggins decision, released on Thursday, the justices ruled the defendant had his constitutional rights violated when his attorney failed to investigate and present to juries during his captial trials, evidence of the horrific abuse he suffered as a child-- mitigating evidence which could have swayed jurors to chose "life" instead of death). We hope you will join us and many other folks around the country this next week, Starvin' for Justice. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:  
Conley to preside over Amrine caseFormer Boone County Circuit Judge Frank Conley was named special judge yesterday in the Joseph Amrine case. The Missouri Supreme Court granted Amrine’s request for a change of judge. Byron Kinder, a former Cole County Circuit Court judge, had been assigned the case. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Compassion and Forgiveness sought, not RevengeDuring these days, a revenge-based justice system seems to generally be the preferred choice of the state in meting out punishment. Such a retributive spirit is frequently encouraged by individuals and their loved ones, who have been victimized by acts of violence in our society. In February 2003, Gabrielle Peton asked compassion be shown to Dominic Moore, a prisoner who acknowledged assaulting Gabrielle in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. Pat Wixom, Sherry Monroe, Scott Serles, Sr. Ruth Heaney and I among others (several of us, FOR members/supporters) joined in emotional solidarity with our friend and sister, Gabrielle in the Cole County courtroom as she eloquently voiced her concerns with the broken and non-rehabilitative prison system, her wishes for mercy and a responsiveness from the court of her wishes as a human being violated and wounded. The excerpts from the court proceeding, offer a lesson given graciously and spiritually by Gabrielle. Please keep her, other victims of violence, Dominic, and other beings sick enough to harm others in such vile manners—all your thoughts and prayers. (Comments and transcript excerpts typed by Jeff Stack, Mid-MO FOR coordinator)… 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Amrine charged again with murderJoe Amrine whose conviction and death penalty sentence were overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court in April was charged again with first-degree murder on Thursday. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Court to decide on Amrine’s releaseDisputed facts and recanted testimonies hold the case in question. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Lobbying Day for Peace, June 17, 2003Please join other citizens of conscience Tuesday, 17 June, from 12 Noon- 1:00 p.m., in a lobbying day for peace, visiting the office of Rep. Kenny Hulshof, 33 E. Broadway (in the Remax Realty building). Meet in the building's entryway at 11:45 a.m. to briefly discuss our planned visit with his staff people. Activists at the recent Missouri Peace Coalition meeting agreed that MPC would sponsor visits on 17 June, to the Missouri offices of our state's Congresspeople, expressing: our opposition to the ongoing U.S. occupation of Iraq, our revulsion with the war waged there and our deep hope that the United States not attack Iran, Syria or any other nation. The day would coincide with a lobbying campaign by the Education for Peace in Iraq Center at the U.S. Capitol (which would focus exclusively on Iraq). There are a lot of issues to bring up with our congresspeople (i.e.- where are the WMD's?; Paul Wolfowitz's acknowledgement the invasion was (as we suspected) really about oil and enabling a relocation of U.S. military forces out of Saudi Arabia; how long will the U.S. occupation of Iraq last?; more war is morally unacceptable, etc.)-- issues that still offer significant media hooks. The time seems ripe for such activism. I've also included below a posting from Tom Sager of Rolla, speaking of EPIC's planned lobbying days (June 16-17). Rep. Hulshof is a Republican who at least publicly had reservations about the invasion (perhaps just to pacify his Columbia constituents), but nonetheless he supported the war upon Iraq. If you can attend (or even if you can't but have some questions/concerns you would like to be addressed/answered by Hulshof's staff) please contact me. We are hoping for many people to participate in this citizen action. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Ongoing (and updated) Peace Actions in ColumbiaWe invite you to join us this and every Saturday for a Peace Vigil from 10-11 a.m. at the Columbia Post Office. Come for as much of the time as you can. Don't let our neighbors get the impression that the peace movement has disappeared. Help us remind folks that our concerns are substantial and our commitment to raising them is ongoing. Please join us for this highly visible effort. We also invite you to attend the weekly Rush Hour Peace Demonstration at Broadway and Providence, Wednesdays anytime between 4:15 and 5:45 p.m. and the Women in Black Vigil Against Violence at MU's Speakers Circle. Women in Black have changed their day back to Tuesday, so they are once again out from 12-1 p.m. every Tuesday. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Middle East Listening ProjectWhat do you think about the conflict in Israel/Palestine? The goal of the Middle East Listening Project is to train people of diverse backgrounds in listening skills to allow them to hear and understand each other's views about Israel/Palestine in a safe environment and without engaging in conflictual dialogue. In this way, organizers hope to build positive connections between people of differing viewpoints. All are welcome to participate: Tuesday, June 17, 7-9 p.m., in the Benton Bingham Room of the MU Memorial Union. There will also be a potluck dinner beginning at 6 p.m. to give people who'd like time to socialize informally. For more info e-mail damasheka@missouri.edu. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
St. Louis Police to review appalling preemptive actions before Biodevastation 7 in St. LouisUse of force too much, activists say. 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
Most Missourians oppose executing juvenile offendersSee related story in the Columbia Daily Tribune. China, Iran and U.S. Top Executioners 0 Comments (perma-link) Email this:
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| Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation |
P.O. Box 268 Columbia, Missouri 65205 |
| Questions about the Fellowship of Reconciliation? -- contact Jeff Stack at
573-449-4585 or jstack@no2death.org An appeal to conscience and purse-strings Free DHTML scripts provided by Dynamic Drive |
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