PRESS RELEASE FROM
FLORIDIANS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO THE DEATH PENALTY (FADP.org)
21 AUGUST 2003
CONTACT: Abe Bonowitz: 800-973-6548
abe@fadp.org
PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS TO SPEAK OUT
FADP Calls on Governor Bush to Heed the Warnings
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) will conduct a
"Tele-Press Conference" on the Paul Hill matter at 10:30am on August 25,
2003. The press conference will feature prominent voices active in the
pro-life movement, speaking out against the violence threatened by Paul
Hill supporters. Reporters and news agencies wishing to participate should
RSVP to fadp@fadp.org or 800-973-6548 to receive the call-in number and
passcode to join the tele-press conference.
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE:
Abe Bonowitz, Director, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Fr. Fred Ruse, representing the Florida Catholic Conference
Joe Scheidler, National Director, Pro-Life Action League
Troy Newman, representing Operation Rescue West
And possibly others....
Again: RSVP to fadp@fadp.org or 800-973-6548
FADP wrote to Governor Bush last week (see
www.fadp.org/pressrel.html) to urge him not to assist Paul Hill in
his quest for martyrdom by allowing the execution to proceed. When he
signed the death warrant in July, Governor Bush dismissed the suggestion
that Hill's supporters might see him as a martyr. "He's a murderer and he
was sentenced to death and I have the duty to carry out that sentence,"
Bush said, according to media reports. FADP asks Governor Bush to
reconsider his assertion in light of Hill's own statements, and the way
Hill's supporters have reacted. (See details at
www.fadp.org/takeact.html#hill)
"Governor Bush says he has a duty to carry out the law," said FADP director
Abe Bonowitz, "but the law also allows him the option to commute the
sentence. It is important that Governor Bush recognize that Hill was
motivated to commit his murders by following the example of fellow
pro-lifer Michael Griffin, who killed Dr. David Gunn in Pensacola just a
few months before Hill committed his crimes. Considering the fact that
Hill has encouraged others to follow in his example, together with the
death threats recently sent to various officials in Florida, Governor Bush
must put the safety of Floridians above politics and commute Paul Hill's
sentence to life without the possibility of parole. This option allows the
punishment of Mr. Hill and the ensures the safety of citizens of
Florida. Governor Bush is duty-bound to protect all Floridians; FADP again
calls on him put his ego aside and to act in the interests of that
charge. We ask for leadership instead of politics as usual. It takes a
leader to stop the cycle of violence."
SENT BY:
Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP)
800-973-6548
fadp@fadp.org
www.fadp.org
PMB 335, 2603 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy Highway #1,
Gainesville, FL 32609
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty works for
restorative
justice in the form of effective alternatives to the death penalty.
It
does so by
supporting and coordinating the work of organizations and
individuals
educating and energizing the general public and state legislators
supporting the many persons affected by capital crime and
punishment
advocating specific legislative improvements
