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“The Romans were intensely proud of their accomplishments, and they built the longest-lasting empire the world has ever known. They were also insanely cruel, crucifying anyone who got in their way, delighting in the many grisly deaths and the constant flow of human blood that filled their arenas. Though they knew they were great, they didn't know that they were cruel. That was something they kept carefully hidden from themselves.” – Thomas Cahill
I recently read “A Saint on Death Row,” by Thomas Cahill (Anchor; 2009). My wife bought me the book for Christmas, in part because she knows that I admire Cahill's writing skills, and also due to the topic. I'm glad that she picked this book for my holiday reading.
Thomas Cahill may be best known for his five-volume “The Hinges of History” series, which began with “How the Irish Saved Civilization.” As with many of my favorite authors, I may not always agree with his interpretation of facts, but I respect the way he puts things together. I was curious what his thoughts were on the prison industry, and on the death penalty, as well as his relationship with the young man that the book was about.
By no coincidence, this book contained information on Sister Helen Prejean, the author of “Dead Man Walking,” who happened to also add her heartfelt endorsement to Dr. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter's new book. “Eye of the Hurricane,” which will be released next month, is the story of the transformation that Dr. Carter experienced while incarcerated, and details the important work he has done on behalf of those who are unjustly convicted.
Cahill tells the story of Dominique Green, a young man from the slums of an American city, who suffered a violent childhood, and became a street hoodlum as a teenager. He was convicted of killing a man during an armed robbery, and sentenced to death. Cahill became acquainted with Green while he was on Death Row in Huntsville, Texas.
The author makes a solid case that Green was not the murderer. Of the four people the police believed were involved in a series of crimes that night, of which Green was one, three were black, and one was white. Based upon the confession of the person caught with the stolen money from the crime – who happened to be the white kid – the police offered each of the three black suspects leniency if they tell who pulled the trigger. Green refused, although he demanded that the investigators find the video from the store where the crime took place, in order to determine both who was involved in the hold-up, and who had the gun.
The white kid was never charged with any crime, in return for testifying against Green. The other two kids received light sentences. Green went to trial, being represented by an attorney unqualified to work on a death penalty case. (This attorney is infamous for having been found to have slept through another trial; the appellate judge ruled that defendants are entitled to be represented by an attorney, but the attorney is not required to be awake. Literally. This is Texas.)
Green's attempts to find justice are documented extremely well by Cahill. His case came to national and international attention, when Archbishop Desmond Tutu visited him on Death Row, and took up his case. Despite the severe lack of anything close to a fair trial, or serious attention from the higher courts, Green was put to death.
Cahill writes about topics that are certainly uncomfortable for many of those in his social class/circles: racism in the justice system; the brutality of poverty, especially in the lives of children in America; the death penalty; George W. Bush; the unholy alliance of church-and-state in Texas; and more.
He ends the book by providing several pages of information for readers interested in joining the fight for social justice, including from the cradle on throughout life. It's an important book, though unpleasant to read.
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