Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 2.12.25
We are still processing the execution of our friend and sub board member Demetrius Frazier and would like to honor him by citing his last words: “First of all, I want to apologize to the family and friends of Pauline Brown. What happened to Pauline Brown should have never happened. I love everybody on death row. Detroit Strong.” It was helpful for us to hear from Demetrius’ mother that his last hours had been joyful and we know from his Muslim brothers at Holman that after prayer Demetrius said: “I know what I have to do and I am ready!”
We would also like to remind the world that “The United Nations Human Rights Office and the European Union both expressed regret over the use of nitrogen gas when the US first used it for execution purposes in January last year, calling it a particularly "cruel and unusual punishment." Also: Atrocity After Atrocity in Alabama | Stephen A. Cooper - The Blogs - The Times of Israel And: “Despite mounting criticism, Alabama remains committed to using this untested method, pressing forward with what it calls justice but what others see as little more than state-sanctioned cruelty” all of which should be seen in the context of Alabama’s progressing bill to post the 10 Commandments in schools! Separation of church and state yes, but even stranger that the 6th Commandment is “thou shalt not kill”. Also, meanwhile a child rape death penalty bill is moving through the Alabama legislature.
Last month our focus was pretty much exclusively on Demetrius Frazier but that did not mean that we were not aware that : “On Inauguration Day, Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety,” whose aim is to “ensure that the laws that authorize capital punishment are respected and faithfully implemented,” and claiming that politicians and judges are subverting the law by “obstructing and preventing the execution of capital sentences.” We are grateful for Death Penalty Action Board Chair the Rev. Sharon Risher’s, who is a murder victim’s family member, Newsweek’s op-ed reply in which she stated “We can never get our loved ones back. But for me, not having the uncertainty of a death sentence hanging over me would make it easier to focus on the positive memories of those I lost. Getting rid of the death penalty also would bring a close to these torturous years of appeals for so many of us.”
We thank all who are working so hard and diligently to stop all killing in Alabama! And as always in closing, we thank all our generous donors who either gave by going to our website and using the “donate” button or who gave directly. Thank you also to all who took the time to read our notes, commented, liked and shared them on Facebook. Stay safe and be kind to each other!
Esther
