“STARVIN’ FOR JUSTICE” IN DC
VADP Director Jack Payden-Travers and intern Ben Soesman traveled to Washington
DC to take part in this year’s “Starvin’ for Justice,” a four-day fast and
vigil held outside the Supreme Court of the U.S. This was the tenth annual
fast and vigil held between June 29 and July 2, the respective dates of the
decisions that outlawed the death penalty (Furman v. Georgia 1972) and then
allowed for executions to resume (Gregg v. Georgia 1976).
Abe Bonowitz coordinated the event for the ad hoc group Abolitionists Action
Committee. Participants came from across from Florida to Alaska, and also
from overseas. As well as a wide geographical representation, the gathering
also produced a vast spectrum of abolitionist voices: Murder Victims Families
for Reconciliation members SueZann Bosler, Marietta Jaeger, and Bill
Pelke talked of their experiences, as did Juan Melendez, a death row inmate
for 18 years until he became one of the 108 individuals exonerated since 1976.
The rally on Monday also heard poetry from NBA Washington Wizards star Etan
Thomas alongside the emotional testimony of Terri Steinberg, the mother of
Virginia death row inmate Justin Wolfe.
The evening featured music from Karl Straub, Jenny Toomey and of course,
Steve Earle, who headlined the concert. The myriad of voices and experiences
gave vitality and depth to the abolitionist message, and those who vigiled
outside the court were invigorated by the sense of community that emanated
from the diverse participants.
The vigil was also an opportunity to educate the public on many of the issues
surrounding the death penalty. It was rewarding to engage those with opposing
views; many people who had previously supported the death penalty examined
their convictions and became aware of the injustices prevalent in the system.
Hopefully, some seeds have been sewn that will lead to sustained public pressure
and, finally, an end to executions in the U.S.
However positive the experience, a stark reminder of what we are fighting
against came when Lewis Gilbert of Oklahoma and Hilton Crawford of Texas were
executed by their states on July 1 and 2 respectively.