The way the prosecutors tell it, he had a smirk on his face when he took the life of Officer Mark MacPhail in a Burger King parking lot on Aug. 19, 1989, in Savannah, Georgia. MacPhail, who was working as an off duty security guard, was coming to the aid of a homeless man who was pistol whipped by 2 men demanding beer when he was shot. 22 years later, his alleged killer, Troy Davis, is 24 hours away from death by lethal injection. Seems simple enough, right?
***WRONG***
Over the last 22 years, many doubts have been raised when it comes to Davis' guilt. 7 of the 9 witnesses that testified against him later recanted their testimony, there was no gun found at the crime scene, and of course, there was no DNA. With so much doubt still lingering, why is the death penalty even on the table? Even a fraction of doubt should be enough to stop the legal lynching of a potentially innocent man. I understand the embarassment it would cause on the justice system to have to admitt that an innocent man had his life stolen but is someone's life worth less than the flawed U.S. justice system?
For years, there have been appeals, requests, letters, petitions, and protests. Supports from all over the world have stepped up to speak up against this injustice. So far, nothing has made an impact on the reality of this situation. Right now, the reality is that as of 7pm on September 21, 2011, Davis may die by lethal injection at the hands of the very justice system that failed him. But, we have not given up the fight; neither has Davis. He refused his last meal and expressed that this fight is not over. He will fight until his last breath and so will we.
It's no secret that Georgia has sentenced more people to death than any other state in the U.S. Is it a coincidence that back in the day, Georgia was also the state with the highest number of lychings? You can form your own opinion but I don't believe in coincidences. History repeats itself and it will continue to do so unless WE do something about it. As I have said before, our country is long overdue for a revolution, and I wouldn't be surprised if the death of Troy Davis was the start of something that America isn't ready for. Do your research and educate yourself. Find something that you feel strongly about and stand up for it. We have to come together because when you're fighting a war this big, you can't accomplish anything alone.
Call to request that D.A. Chisholm withdraw the death warrant 912-652-7308
Call Judge Penny Freesemann, who signed Troy's death warrant, and urge her to retract the warrant: 912.652.7252
Sign some petitions:
www.naacp.org
www.change.org
www.iacenter.org
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