(CNS photo/Andrew Cullen, Reuters)
Postcards to Elected Officials
The enclosed postcards are an easy way for Catholics to let their elected state leaders know that it’s time to abolish the death penalty. There are four different cards, all with the same powerful image on the front with the words, “As a Catholic, I’d like to say…” When you turn the card over, you’ll see that there’s one addressed to the governor, one to your state senator, one to your state representative, and the final one is to your county’s district attorney.
TIP: Offer to look up the names and addresses for signers’ rep, senator, and DA to mail the cards yourself! That way, people can do it in the moment and be on their way. And, if it would make this easier for you, just put the completed postcards in an envelope and mail them to PADP and we’ll take it from there.
If you have people in your circle that take photos with their phones, you could ask them to capture people in action signing, standing in line waiting to sign, holding cards, talking to each other, etc. Please email the pictures to me at klucas@padp.org. And feel free to use social media to share what you’re doing.
Remember, this can be as simple as asking people to fill out the postcards, sign, and mail them on their own, so please don’t be put off by the extra steps I’ve laid out as possibilities. The goal is to take action! We’ve got plenty more postcards here, so just let me know how many you think you can use and I’ll send them right away.
Ways to Educate Your Community
● Invite someone with personal experience with the death penalty, such as a death row survivor, a murder victim’s family member, a prison minister or an attorney to speak at your parish. Contact PADP for help in selecting a speaker and planning your event.
● Have a book club? Here are some great reads:
o Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean
o The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions by Sister Helen Prejean
o Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us by Shane Claiborne
o Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
o Where Justice and Mercy Meet: Catholic Opposition to the Death Penalty Vicki Schieber, Trudy D. Conway, David Matzko (editors), and Helen Prejean, CSJ (Foreword)
● Host a film screening and dialogue. Here are some suggestions:
o In the Executioner’s Shadow
o One For Ten
o Lindy Lou, Juror Number Two
o The Exonerated
o Dead Man Walking
IN THE EXECUTIONER'S SHADOW casts a penetrating look at the consequences of the death penalty through three powerful stories - the rare perspective of a former state executioner who comes within days of executing an innocent person; a Boston Marathon bombing victim who struggles to decide what justice really means; and the parents of a murder victim who choose to fight for the life of their daughter’s killer. As the battle to overturn capital punishment comes to a head in the U.S., this provocative film challenges viewers to question their deepest beliefs about justice. View the trailer here: http://intheexecutionersshadow.com/trailere/
“It is the potential of this documentary to move us toward a more enlightened society that excites me about this work.” —Benjamin Jealous, former NAACP President
As wrongful convictions, botched executions, and a broken justice system inch further into the spotlight, we must consider: What is justice? What part should the death penalty play?
In the Executioner's Shadow allows a glimpse into Jerry's rarely seen world of death row and execution. It explores Karen’s moral conflict as she attends the accused bomber’s trial, a young man the same age as her son. It defies our perception of justice as Vicki and Syl fight for the life of their daughter's murderer.
In the Executioner's Shadow illuminates the oft-hidden realities entangled in death row, the death penalty, and the U.S. Justice system at large.