THE INNOCENCE & EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS
Troy Anthony Davis is scheduled to be executed on Monday, October 27th, 2008. Convicted of the 1991 murder of a Savannah, GA police officer, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay of execution approximately two hours before Davis was set to be put to death September 23rd in order to review defense claims that he is an innocent man.
Former President Jimmy Carter, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Pope Benedict XVI, Harry Belafonte and others have all asked that Davis’ life be spared.
On October 14th, the Supreme Court denied – without any explanation – Davis’ appeal to have a jury hear new evidence which he says proves his innocence.
What’s Davis’ new evidence? Seven of the nine original witnesses at his trial, who either testified they saw Davis commit the murder or heard him admit to it, recanted their testimony.
You’re probably asking out loud right about now “Exactly how many witnesses against a person do you need to state they lied on the witness stand, and would like to now tell the whole truth and nothing but, before that person can get a new trial and have their conviction overturned?
The answer? It don’t matter.
Troy Davis will very likely be put to death next week because innocence is no more a factor in the workings of the U.S. legal machine than the color of my underwear.
There is something very wrong with that.
Hollywood would like us to believe that Justice, Compassion and Mercy all have a home inside a courtroom. What actually is at home in the courtroom is politics – or as Bob Marley say ‘poli-tricks.’
Judges are either elected by the people or appointed by politicians. The laws that the judges uphold are created by politicians - legislators. As long as the laws created by the legislators don’t conflict with the U.S. Constitution (you remember that document don’t you … the one that said the importation of slaves was all good for a certain number of years and that Black folks were 3/5 human?) then, the law is the law.
In the case of Troy Davis his lawyers argue that executing an innocent man is cruel and unusual punishment which goes against the 8th Amendment to the US Constitution.
Obviously, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the state agency that could free Troy Davis and the US Supreme Court, the highest authority in the country, don’t believe that. Although neither body made a public statement about exactly why they denied Davis’s appeals, it is obvious that they believe that no errors or crimes were committed and no laws broken during Davis’s trial.
Innocence is something extra in courts of law but not essential. Kinda like when you go out to eat and they bring your main course with a little leaf of lettuce … not a whole salad …just one limp leaf.
The fact that Troy’s innocence has absolutely nothing to do with anything is a crime if ever there was one.
But enough of complaining about that; time is running out that could be used to save his life. All of us need to get in where we fit in. In addition to the traditional ways to fight for Troy’s life - forwarding emails, sending faxes, making phone calls, writing letters and attending rallies - there are at least four other things that people can and should do:
If you’re a Prayer Warrior - Amnesty International is calling for people to join in a weekend of prayer for Troy Davis and justice from Oct. 24-26.
If you’re a Cyber or Digital Activist - You can text “TROY” to 90999 to spread the word via cell.
If you’re a Real World Activist – check Amnesty’s website to see if there is a solidarity event being held in your area and take yo’ self over there.
Lastly, folks should give this some serious consideration: in California, we have what is known as the Initiative process. That’s where a person – any person, Black-white-male-female-blind-crippled-crazy – can come up with an idea and have it placed on the ballot. There’s a process involved: it has to be written in a particular language and a set number of signatures of the state’s registered voters have to sign a petition saying they want the initiative to be voted on, and that of course takes money and people power, but for the most part all you really need is the idea that something is worthy of becoming the law of the land.
How about innocence? Wouldn’t it be great if a person could not be convicted of a crime … let alone put to death … if there were serious doubts about whether they actually committed a crime?
How about we make that the law everywhere? How about we mobilize in our communities to find someone to write up a law that says just that and then we find a sponsor and we get it on the ballot in each and every city, county and state in the U.S.?
And then, every single judge in every single corner of the country would be prohibited from creating new Troy Davises.
Gee whiz … wouldn’t that be swell?
Thandisizwe Chimurenga is a community journalist and activist. She can be heard most Thursdays on “Some of Us Are Brave: A Black Women’s Radio Program” on KPFK - Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles. She is also the Director of the Ida B. Wells Institute, a leadership development and media training program for Black women and girls. Her social commentary blog is exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.
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