Monthly Archives: April 2011
Will Georgia execute Troy Davis?
By Alan Bean This article by Amnesty International’s Brian Evans provides the most concise status report on the Troy Davis case I have encountered. According to judge William T. Moore, Mr. Davis failed to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, the essential features of the state’s … Continue reading
Head in the sand over prosecutorial misconduct
Law Professor Erwin Chemerinsky is dismayed by Supreme Court rulings that protect unscrupulous prosecutors from the consequences of their actions. The Friends of Justice share this concern. The pious doctrine that American citizens stand before the law as equals is a … Continue reading
Birtherism and a past that refuses to die
Now that Barack Obama has released the long form of his Hawaii birth certificate, I wonder if the two-thirds of Republicans who question his citizenship will be mollified. I’m not optimistic. No one ever had a valid reason for subscribing to birtherism. The president … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Call in to support the National Criminal Justice Commission Act
Friends of Justice is pleased to pass along this announcement from Laura Markle, Criminal Justice Reform Grassroots Coordinator with the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church Wednesday, April 27th TEXAS call-in day to support passage … Continue reading
Is house arrest an alternative to prison?
By Marie Owens Increasing the Use of House Arrest While our federal and local governments teeter on the brink of financial collapse, lawmakers at every level are scrambling to bring their exploding budgets under control. According to Darrell Issa, Chairman … Continue reading
Filed under prison reform, The politics of crime
Have we given up on the common good?
By Alan Bean The 150th anniversary of the Civil War reminds us that America is as deeply divided now as it has ever been. We can’t even agree about the basic meaning of the Civil War. Was Robert E. Lee a … Continue reading
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Filed under "civil rights", "Social Justice", common peace consensus, mass incarceration, narrative, Race and religion, Southern history, The Nature of God
Crucified with Christ: Holy Week through a prisoner’s eyes
By Alan Bean Friends of Justice was introduced to Ramiro (Ramsey) Muniz by Ernesto Fraga, a ember of our board who publishes the Tiempo newspaper in Waco, Texas. Ramsey ran for governor of Texas on two occasions in the early 197os … Continue reading
Filed under Faith, Race and the Law, Ramsey Muniz, the politics of race, torture, Uncategorized, war on drugs
Why we can’t be honest about the Civil War
By Alan Bean As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a new Harris Interactive Poll suggests that 54% of Americans believe the South seceded over states rights, not slavery. That would have been news to the folks at the helm … Continue reading
Filed under Neo-Confederacy, Race, Southern history
Rethinking Hell
By Alan Bean Hell has always been a hot topic in America. Rob Bell’s Love Wins created such a pre-publication stir that the book debuted at number 2 on the New York Times best-seller list and remains on Amazon’s top … Continue reading
