No Image

“Death Penalty Does Not Work. It Makes Problems Worse. Let’s Abolish it.”

January 13, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The February 2018 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series focuses on the death penalty.  Here is a summary.  See the end of this summary for a link to watch the program and a link to read the transcript. The death penalty promises many things but does NOT deliver what it promises.  It does NOT deter murder, provide justice, help victims’ families, get used on “the worst of the worst,” or save money. Instead of doing what it supposedly intends to do, the death penalty MAKES PROBLEMS WORSE and CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS.  It escalates the cycle of violence and the […]

No Image

TV: “Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice System: Problems and Solutions”

November 20, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

Everybody knows that the criminal justice system in the United States is full of problems.  Some of the problems are well known, but our society and our political system seem unable or unwilling to solve them.  Yet workable solutions really do exist. The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s February 2014 TV program examines some of our criminal justice system’s problems — with a special emphasis on the racial disparities — and we also look at solutions. Three knowledgeable guests help us explore the topic: • Larry Jefferson has 17 years of experience as a defense attorney in King County and in […]

No Image

Death Penalty information sources

November 20, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

A good number of excellent organizations are working hard to abolish the death penalty.  A number of years ago I created a list of the organizations’ names, how to reach them, and their special areas of expertise and activities.  I have updated that list several times.  I’m attaching a 2011 update.  Some have moved since then, but I have not been able to find the more recent update.  When I find that, I’ll replace this 2011 version with the newer one.  Here is the 2011 version:  Death Penalty Information Resources — two 11-inch pages (1)   Also, much information is […]

No Image

TV: “The Death Penalty Is Unjust and Is Being Abolished”

November 20, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

To watch this 1-hour program, click HERE. To read a thorough summary — including sources of more information — click HERE for .pdf format or HERE for Word format. The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s May 2014 TV program about the death penalty provides fresh information, fresh insights, and fresh support for moving ahead toward abolishing it.Washington State is one of 32 states that can sentence people to death. Therefore, over the years, the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s TV series has produced a number of programs about the death penalty. The first third of the program summarizes the problems in two […]

No Image

TV: “Innocent, But 49+ Years in Prison, Including Death Row”

November 16, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s February 2017 TV program focuses on the criminal justice system – and especially the death penalty – from the first-hand experience of someone who has lived his entire life right here in Washington State. Dawud al-Malik was completely innocent of the crimes for which he was prosecuted and imprisoned for more than 49 years, including some years on death row. Dawud went to prison in 1966 at the age of 19, and was released on parole in February 2015. Despite the horrible injustices he experienced, Dawud survived with a warm sweetness about him, and a […]

No Image

Death Penalty: Short Multi-Issue Fact Sheet

November 10, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

Violence begets violence: Society is right to want to stop violent crime. But when fear or other emotions cause us to retaliate with more violence, we only make the problem worse. The death penalty is the wrong response. Death penalty does not deter murder: When many murders occur, the offender is under severe emotional stress and/or the influence of alcohol or drugs. They are not thinking rationally enough to analyze the probabilities of being caught, convicted, and sentenced to death.  Nor does the death penalty deter those crimes that are rationally planned, because those persons plan to avoid getting caught.  […]

No Image

Do Your Friends Know You Oppose the Death Penalty? “Coming Out” Against It Can Help Turn the Tide!

November 10, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

Social science has tipped us off on some powerful possibilities. It turns out that a modest number of individuals can create powerful social movements by energetically spreading the word.  Epidemiologists know that epidemics of diseases can spread through a few virulent carriers, and sociologists know that the same is true of ambitious and well connected activists. For many years the death penalty has been the status quo – a given – the accepted norm. Most people assume that other people accept the death penalty. If more people who quietly oppose it would come out of the closet and tell their […]