deepest gratitude, DU! here, precious from kenneth foster's blog:

[nofurylike]

VICTORY!!!!

August 30, 2007

Movement to Save Kenneth Foster Wins Historic Victory
http://savekenneth.blogspot.com /


Family members and supporters of Kenneth Foster, Jr. are jubilant in the reaction to Texas Governor Rick Perry's today's announcement today that he would commute the death sentence of Kenneth Foster, who was convicted under the controversial "Law of Parties" for a 1996 murder in which he had no actual involvement. The Board of Pardons and Paroles had recommened clemency by a vote of 6-1. Foster's execution had been scheduled for tonight.

-snip-

Reaction among Foster's family and friends included both joy and disbelief. “We felt a bit of disbelief because Perry’s decision was so unprecedented.” said Dana Cloud of the Save Kenneth Foster campaign. “But everyone is so happy that Kenneth will be able to touch his wife and daughter and that we have a chance of seeing him free. Anything is possible when you are alive.”

-snip-

“Governor Perry once said that there was no hue and cry against the death penalty in Texas,” commented Lily Hughes of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty. “Well, here was your hue and cry.”

-snip-

Foster’s family and other supporters will continue to work to free him from prison. “It seems like ten years on death row under 23-hour lockdown could amount to time served for any crime that Kenneth ever committed,” Cloud said.

-snip-

***

thank you thank you thank you for stepping up!! all!! DUers got some mighty "hue and cry"!!!


peace and solidarity, always!!
nfl

[emlev]

1. Let's each take a moment

to celebrate this victory. Share it with someone who feels hopeless. Share it with someone who forgets that people coming together to make change really can work. Share it with someone who lives in Texas and might not have heard. Share it with someone who doesn't live in Texas and needs reminding that there is good in people everywhere.

Let's each take a moment to imagine what it might be like to believe you had less than one day left of your life, that your life would be taken for unjust reasons, and then suddenly to learn that your life had been extended, indefinitely. And to know that thousands of people, most of whom you had never met and would never meet, had spoken out on your behalf, and that their voices, coming together, had made all the difference.

Let's each take a moment to imagine what it might be like to be an eleven year old girl who has just learned that her father will not be killed after all, and that after ten years of not being allowed to hug him, you will get to hug him again.

Let's each take a moment to remember that it is this coming together and rising up of our voices that must build and spread and encompass every injustice in the world, until every single injustice has been halted in its tracks.

Let's each take a moment.

[Booster]

4. Wow. That's a really nice post. I was a juror on a trial that

involved gang members here in L.A. One young man had given a gun to another and the second guy took it and killed another gang member. The trial I was on was for the guy who gave the gun. At the start we knew he was up for the death penalty if found guilty. Most of us tried to get out of the trial, me included, but we were kept and swore to uphold the law. The first day of jury deliberations I told the rest of the jurors that I could not vote guilty for 1st degree murder, but I could vote for manslaughter or any other thing they wanted. Most people in L.A. hate the gangs; they have done nothing to help in the city; only death and destruction. Those jurors argued with me for 3 days, but I'm happy to say I finally convinced them that someone who wasn't even at the scene of the murder should not be up for the death penalty for that murder, and amazingly they finally agreed with me and we convicted him on a lesser count. I've always felt good about standing up that time and I would do it again. Sometimes the law just doesn't make sense.

[emlev]

5. I hope everyone will read what you just wrote

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking that stand and holding to it. (I would thank you for sticking to your guns, but somehow...) It's not often that we get to know the effects of our work for justice. I'm glad in this instance that you did.

My favorite button I've ever seen reads, "Every oak tree was once a nut that stood its ground."

[Booster]

7. I like that oak tree analogy, and I'm kicking this so more people

can read your wonderful post. I never knew what happened to our young man, but he had a wife and little girl who always sat in the hallway - I hope someday he can get out and make that little girl proud of him.

[nofurylike]

8. you truly get it about how precious the imagining it is. how well

you said that, emlev. it is a powerfully moving read. every passage.

thank you thank you, for this, for getting it, for being there, and for the joining of hands that is the source of Miracles.



peace and gratitude

[lligrd]

17. You Did The Right Thing

I am all for upholding laws when they make sense but we have a brain for a reason and when logic dictates something is wrong, it usually is. If only our law makers would actually strive for justice instead of what is politically correct, Jurors would have a much better conscience when they followed the rule of law.

[sandnsea]

2. Well I'll be

You know I never had any hope for this at all. It's astonishing. I do wish they'd stop talking about time served though, because that's the reason many people support the death penalty - to make sure nobody gets out and does it again. He should be happy he's got his life and try to figure out how to make good use of it.

Maybe this will get more people involved, knowing that it can make a difference.

And you did great, rallying people time and again,

:applause:

:yourock:

[nofurylike]

9. it IS astonishing, sandnsea. thank you for your support! i hardly

dared hope, myself.

yes!: "Maybe this will get more people involved, knowing that it can make a difference." i hope!
more on that soon.

one thing to know, kenneth foster has already done more time than any of the crimes he might have been convicted of - had his trial gone fairly - would call for a sentence of.

you helped with that rallying, thank you.


peace!

[sandnsea]

11. Okay, yeah, that's a good point

I wasn't thinking of it that way. It just seemed like they might have wanted to wait a day or two to start talking about getting out. But yeah, ten years for robbing people is more than sufficient, especially if it's a first offense.

[nofurylike]

14. i tell you, i can see it making a person nervous. i've been afraid

to jinx it all day, myself. so, when i hear that talk, i get a similar feeling.

you know the saying "bad crop!"? about not wanting the gods/goddesses to be jealous when things go well.

but kenneth has more than earned his way out - not even taking into account that he may well have actually tried to stop the others. that was in some court records, too late for the jury trial.

thanks so much for all your input on these threads, sandnsea.


peace!

[PDJane]

3. Can you hear this Canadian cheering down there?

SENSE AT LAST!!!!!!

[emlev]

6. Oh is THAT what that sound is? It's lovely! eom

[nofurylike]

10. high praise!! very moving, i must say! thank you PDJane! eom

[NMDemDist2]

12. wonderful news! thanks for posting! n/t

[nofurylike]

15. thank you, AZDemDist6! it really is! eom

[EFerrari]

13. Here's to good news in a dangerous world.

:toast:

[nofurylike]

16. o my, how very well put. thank you, sfexpat! and thank you so

much for all your support and input on these threads!


peace!

[EFerrari]

18. kick so DUers can see.

:kick: and :toast: to you all who made this happen.

[nofurylike]

19. thank you. you being one of them. eom

[emlev]

20. West Coast a.m. kick

[EFerrari]

21. And anotha

:kick:

[EFerrari]

22. This is huge. Let's kick this for a while so people can take it in.