Troy Davis: Where is the Justice?

"An eye for an eye will only make the world go blind."
--Mahatma Gandhi

It would take me a long time to understand how systems inflict pain and hardship in people's lives and to learn that being kind in an unjust system is not enough."
--Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking"

Today, the daddy is thinking of the many world leaders who are calling for clemency for Troy Davis, who is scheduled to be executed by legal injection on Tuesday, September 23rd, at 7 p.m.

Some of the leaders include:

• Pope Benedict XVI,
• Nobel-prize winner Rev. Desmond Tutu,
  
• singer Harry Belafonte,
  
• actor Mike Farrell,
  
• Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL),
  
• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),
  
• Sister Helen Prejean,
  
• Sam D. Millsap, Jr. (former D.A. of Bexar County, TX),
  
• record producer and activist Russell Simmons.

Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International, says "The facts with which the jury was presented nearly 16 years ago have fallen into considerable doubt. To allow this execution to proceed would be to knowingly countenance an irrevocable injustice."

According to Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International, over 4,000 letters and postcards have been presented to the the Georgia Parole Board on Troy Davis behalf.

He says the reason for the worldwide attention to this case that a possibly innocent man could die because of "dysfunctional application" of justice in the U.S.:

"Certain cases are emblematic of the dysfunctional application of justice in this country; the case of Troy Davis is one of them. There is ample evidence to show that Davis may not have perpetrated the crimes for which he may lose his life. Georgia's Parole Board needs to give this serious consideration and decide whether it is worth even the possibility of killing an innocent man."

The following is Troy Davis view of the application of U.S. justice in his own words:

Where is the Justice for me?
byTroy Davis

Where is the Justice for me?

In 1989 I surrendered myself to the police for crimes I knew I was innocent of in an effort to seek justice through the court system in Savannah, Georgia USA. But like so many death penalty cases, that was not my fate and I have been denied justice. During my imprisonment I have lost more than my freedom, I lost my father and my family has suffered terribly, many times being treated as less than human and even as criminals. In the past I have had lawyers who refused my input, and would not represent me in the manner that I wanted to be represented. I have had witnesses against me threatened into making false statements to seal my death sentence and witnesses who wanted to tell the truth were vilified in court.

For the entire two years I was in jail awaiting trial I wore a handmade cross around my neck, it gave me peace and when a news reporter made a statement in the local news, “Cop-killer wears cross to court,” the cross was immediately taken as if I was unworthy to believe in God or him in me. The only time my family was allowed to enter the courtroom on my behalf was during the sentencing phase where my mother and sister had to beg for my life and the prosecutor simply said, “I was only fit for killing.” Where is the Justice for me, when the courts have refused to allow me relief when multiple witnesses have recanted their testimonies that they lied against me?

Because of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, the blatant racism and bias in the U.S. Court System, I remain on death row in spite of a compelling case of my innocence. Finally I have a private law firm trying to help save my life in the court system, but it is like no one wants to admit the system made another grave mistake. Am I to be made an example of to save face? Does anyone care about my family who has been victimized by this death sentence for over 16 years? Does anyone care that my family has the fate of knowing the time and manner by which I may be killed by the state of Georgia?

I truly understand a life has been lost and I have prayed for that family just as I pray for mine, but I am Innocent and all I ask for is a True Day in a Just Court. If I am so guilty why do the courts deny me that? The truth is that they have no real case; the truth is I am Innocent.

Where is the Justice for me?

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Troy Davis is scheduled for execution at 7 PM tomorrow (Tuesday), September 23rd. Do what you can:

• Get the word out.
• Call the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Georgia Attorney General's Office! Huffington Post put up an article this morning with working numbers for both of these offices. Call, give your name and state of residence, and briefly explain why you object to this execution.
  
• Focus on the specifics of this case, not general opinions about the death penalty as a public policy. Here are two important phone numbers:
• BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES: 404-657-9350
• GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: 404-656-3300.
• Visit Troy Davis' website to see how you can help.