Join Vigil for Life and Remembrance

in Columbia either Thursday or Friday

to Mourn 1000th Execution in USA

The 1000^th execution of a human being nationally by state and federal officials will take place very soon, later in November or early December. Each life is precious—all of ours, those of all murder victims, including all of the 997 individuals previously executed by officials within our nation.  We believe though that this deplorable and significant milestone should not be allowed to pass unnoticed.  The Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation encourages concerned citizens to join us in a Vigil for Life and Remembrance, from 5:00- 6:00 pm in front of the Boone County Courthouse in Columbia, EITHER Thursday, 1 December or Friday, 2 December.  I will also send out an e-mail on Wednesday night or sooner, when it becomes more clear which date we will gather. (E-mail or call me at 573-4585 if you want to be alerted by a phone call about the particular date of our vigil).

Which date will depend upon court and/or gubernatorial developments in three other states. See below for details on planned executions in other states and means for you to intervene, forwarded from the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (beyond the basic issue that all human beings have a right to life, that all people and governments lack the moral right to kill, there are as always, other compelling issues of note in these cases). Should the executions of Eric Nance (Arkansas), John Hicks (Ohio) and Robin Lovitt (Virginia) all take place as planned, Mr. Lovitt would become the 1000^th person executed in the USA since the death penalty was resurrected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976. In that case, we would vigil on Thursday evening.

Should there be stays granted, delaying at least by days, the execution of any of the three men, the FOR will hold our Columbia vigil on Friday, at the same time and location. Sadly, two other executions are planned (state officials plan late Thursday night, to kill Daryl Mack, a “volunteer” who’s given up all his appeals in Nevada, while North Carolina officials intend to murder Kenneth Lee Boyd very early Friday morning). It’s most certain, either Mr. Lovitt, Mr. Mack or Mr. Boyd will become the 1000^th victim of state-sponsored murder in these so-considered modern times. Missouri has executed 66 people since that time, 4^th most of any U.S. state. Thankfully, no person is scheduled to be executed in our state at this time.

There will also be activities in other parts of the state, comemmorating the tragic national milestone and coordinated by other partner-groups with Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty—taking place on Tuesday, November 29. In Kansas City from 5:00-6:00 pm, citizens are welcome to join others in front of the J.C. Nichols Fountain in the Plaza. In St. Louis, the public is welcome to attend a half-hour prayer service beginning at 8:00 pm, in the lower level chapel of St. Francis Xavier Church, located at Grand & Lindell. A vigil will take place in front of St. Francis Xavier’s from 8:30-9:00 pm.

For more information on the national call to action and reflection, check out http://www.1000executions.org/index.php. If you have a digital camera and would like to add your personalized photograph expressing your opposition to the death penalty, you can do so by following the directions outlined on the website.

Pending Executions