Ray Krone Visits James Monroe High School
in Fredericksburg
By Kate Vandermade, 11th Grade
On January 10, James Monroe High School had the honor of having Ray Krone
come speak to a group of our students. Ray Krone is the 100th person
to be released from death row in the U.S. by proving his innocence on rape
and murder charges that landed him on death row in Arizona. Our Amnesty
International group first heard Mr. Krone speak at the Mid-Atlantic AI conference
that was held in the fall in Crystal City. We were so intrigued by him
that we invited him to come speak at our school. Upon his arrival we
had a luncheon in the library, where Mr. Krone was able to talk one on one
with AI students about his experiences. We then moved to the auditorium
where we invited 11th and 12th grade students to join us. He spoke vividly
about his experiences with the American judicial system. Mr. Krone
is an amazing speaker and made a great impression on our students with his
story. After his speech, we had an open question period where students
could ask Mr. Krone about his experiences. This lasted for about an
hour, and students continued to be intrigued by his story. Mr. Krone’s
story is one of survival and belief in himself, one of a justice system that
did not presume innocence, and also the story of a person who could have chosen
to be bitter about his fate but has instead chosen to work on improving the
system that so failed him. His speech caused a number of students to
reconsider their stands on the death penalty. It was an informative
day for all.