Post by kimbylee on Jun 17, 2006 6:28:55 GMT -5
Death Penalty Quotes from Victim’s Families
«Our sister Nancy and her husband Richard were a young couple expecting their first child when they were shot to death in their home. They loved and valued life; our sister was carrying life within her when she died a terrifying and brutal death. Her last act as she was dying was to write a message of love in her blood. We can't imagine making the death of another human being her memorial.» -- Jennifer Bishop, whose sister Nancy Bishop Langert and her husband Richard Langert were murdered in 1990
«I know that love does not seek revenge. We do not want a life for a life. Love seeks healing, peace and wholeness. Hatred can never overcome hatred. Only love can overcome hatred and violence. Love is that light. It is that candle that cannot be extinguished by all the darkness and hatred in the world. Judge Goger, that is the reason we are not asking for the death penalty.» -- Hector Black, whose daughter Patricia was murdered in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, Victim Impact Statement delivered before the Fulton County (Georgia) Superior court, January 2002.
«My brother was mugged for the cash in his pocket. Killing those we condemn does not make a safer world. By cranking the wheel of the cycle of violence we amplify it; we infect us all.» Merida Blanco, whose brother was murdered.
«I saw Floyd Medlock die, and I can tell you this: Nobody gets closure by witnessing somebody else murdered. Forgiveness is the only thing that allows you to go on.» -- Johnnie Cabrera Carter, whose 7-year-old granddaughter Kathy was raped and murdered February 19, 1990 by Floyd Allen Medlock, Family Circle, 8/6/2002.
The assumption is all too often made that all murder-victim family members want the death penalty. The horrible reality for those of us who have lost loved ones to homicide is that nothing that happens to their murderers is going to bring our loved ones back.» -- Sharon Borcyzewski, whose daughter was murdered in 1997, Arizona Republic, 4/12/2004
«Unnatural death is wrong, no matter who does it.» -- Antoinette Bosco, whose son and daughter-in-law were murdered, author of the book "Choosing Mercy".
«One of the great counterarguments death penalty opponents face is the challenge, 'If it were your spouse/child/sibling who was murdered, you'd feel differently.' Never did I feel that that boy's shocked parents, who were losing their son as surely as my parents lost theirs, and who have the added pain of shame, needed to suffer more. An 18-year-old's execution would not give back the dead. Nor would it have given me 'closure', which I regard as a myth - a politician's fiction. Spare me, please, your feel-good vengeance.» -- Paul Bosco, whose brother was murdered (son of Antoinette Bosco).
«My father's favorite hymn was 'Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let it Begin With Me.' Those of us who work against the death penalty are working for peace.» -- Suezann Bosler, whose father Rev. Billy Bosler was murdered in 1986.
«Even though I lost loved ones, I just don’t have the heart to do that to someone else.... It won’t bring family back. I’m a Catholic, and I believe in the sanctity of human life. I also know the legal system is fraught with error, and it could put to death someone who is not guilty.» -- Kathy Bowman, who lost several family members to murder
«I do want to communicate to him that my mother would have been willing to represent him, and that she believed that everybody can turn their life around, that I know he doesn't have a lot to look forward to in prison, and I would be rooting for him to find something worthwhile to do there. ... My mother would forgive him.» -- Maureen Burford, whose mother was murdererd in 1988, Mercury News, 10/1/2005.
«Our mother had a strong opinion against the death penalty. I have a visceral response against the death penalty. I don't agree with it at all.» -- Peter Burford, whose mother was murdererd in 1988, Mercury News, 10/1/2005.
I was eight years old when my father was murdered. But even as a child one thing was clear to me: I didn't want the killer, in turn, to be killed. I can remember lying in bed and praying, 'Please, God. Please don’t let them kill him.' I saw nothing that could be accomplished in the loss of one life being answered with the loss of another. And I knew, far too vividly, the anguish that would spread through another family-another set of parents, children, brothers, and sisters thrown into grief.» -- Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy.
«It is past time for being silent about the death penalty. In Texas, we’re executing record numbers each year. Things have gotten so bad because people have all been silent and let things get bad. We are told many times that we are not supposed to forgive – that when people do horrible things to us we should do something just as bad in retribution. Those of us who know better – those of us who know the power of forgiveness – need to speak up. Every chance we get, we need to challenge the mentality that compassion is a weakness. Compassion is the toughest thing of all, but it’s the only thing that works to restore peace in our live.»
When my husband was killed a piece of me died with him, but in time I discovered the only way to heal was to let go of the pain and anger. I chose to honor his memory through compassion and forgiveness, not by creating more victims.» -- Carol Byars, whose husband, James Hapney, was shot in 1977 by his mother’s next-door neighborhood during an altercation and who died 8 months later.
When I heard King had exhausted his appeals, I began thinking, 'How can this help me or solve my pain?' and I realized that it couldn't.»
«Where is the progress in that? It is still murder. All the death penalty does is bring more hate into the world.» -- Ross Byrd, whose father was murdered in 1998 by three members of the Ku Klux Klan
«When we moved to Michigan from the East Coast over 30 years ago, we felt proud to live in a state that had never had capital punishment. After Ron's mother was murdered in Ohio, a death penalty state, we felt the same firm opposition to the death penalty. When the case came to be prosecuted, three sons and daughter-in-law independently voiced their support for our position, and we petitioned the county prosecutor not to seek capital punishment.
We have always believed that no human has the right to take another's life. We could never condone such an act. Even Mother's horrible murder could not change that.
In similar situations, so many people seem to focus exclusively on the terrible action of the murderer. But we firmly believe that the fundamental question is how we as a civilized society will act. To kill out of fear, hatred and retribution is to demean us all and ultimately to commit a second act of murder.» Ron and Carolyn Callen. Ron Callen's mother Leona Callen was brutally beaten and murdered in her home in a suburb of Akron, Ohio in 1991.
«The world is not a better place because the State of Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker. Even though Karla murdered my only sibling -- my sister, Deborah, who had raised me after our mother died -- I stood with her as one of her witnesses when she was executed. I was there to stand up for the Lord, for the strength of his love. Karla and I had both done a lot of wrong in our lives. We had both turned to drugs to heal our pain; we had both hurt a lot of people. But the love of Jesus Christ transformed us. We were able to forgive ourselves and each other. "I love you Ronnie," was one of the last things Karla said. I still carry that love with me.»
For eight years I wrestled with the death penalty issue in my life. I spent many hours and days pondering this way of life and death. I had hoped that maybe even witnessing the execution would have given me the closure that everyone speaks of. I have found that the death penalty did not solve any of that, however I also have found that it does create more victims.» -- Ronald W. Carlson, whose sister Deborah was murdered by Karla Faye Tucker in 1983
«And when they said, 'Do you want, you know, the death penalty?' My wife was the first one. She said no. No, it's not for us to deal with the obvious. And my thought was, 'Hey man. They could poison, they could strap 1,000 of these people in the chair.» -- Bill Cosby, whose son was murdered, Larry King Live, 12/10/2003.
«Our sister Nancy and her husband Richard were a young couple expecting their first child when they were shot to death in their home. They loved and valued life; our sister was carrying life within her when she died a terrifying and brutal death. Her last act as she was dying was to write a message of love in her blood. We can't imagine making the death of another human being her memorial.» -- Jennifer Bishop, whose sister Nancy Bishop Langert and her husband Richard Langert were murdered in 1990
«I know that love does not seek revenge. We do not want a life for a life. Love seeks healing, peace and wholeness. Hatred can never overcome hatred. Only love can overcome hatred and violence. Love is that light. It is that candle that cannot be extinguished by all the darkness and hatred in the world. Judge Goger, that is the reason we are not asking for the death penalty.» -- Hector Black, whose daughter Patricia was murdered in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, Victim Impact Statement delivered before the Fulton County (Georgia) Superior court, January 2002.
«My brother was mugged for the cash in his pocket. Killing those we condemn does not make a safer world. By cranking the wheel of the cycle of violence we amplify it; we infect us all.» Merida Blanco, whose brother was murdered.
«I saw Floyd Medlock die, and I can tell you this: Nobody gets closure by witnessing somebody else murdered. Forgiveness is the only thing that allows you to go on.» -- Johnnie Cabrera Carter, whose 7-year-old granddaughter Kathy was raped and murdered February 19, 1990 by Floyd Allen Medlock, Family Circle, 8/6/2002.
The assumption is all too often made that all murder-victim family members want the death penalty. The horrible reality for those of us who have lost loved ones to homicide is that nothing that happens to their murderers is going to bring our loved ones back.» -- Sharon Borcyzewski, whose daughter was murdered in 1997, Arizona Republic, 4/12/2004
«Unnatural death is wrong, no matter who does it.» -- Antoinette Bosco, whose son and daughter-in-law were murdered, author of the book "Choosing Mercy".
«One of the great counterarguments death penalty opponents face is the challenge, 'If it were your spouse/child/sibling who was murdered, you'd feel differently.' Never did I feel that that boy's shocked parents, who were losing their son as surely as my parents lost theirs, and who have the added pain of shame, needed to suffer more. An 18-year-old's execution would not give back the dead. Nor would it have given me 'closure', which I regard as a myth - a politician's fiction. Spare me, please, your feel-good vengeance.» -- Paul Bosco, whose brother was murdered (son of Antoinette Bosco).
«My father's favorite hymn was 'Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let it Begin With Me.' Those of us who work against the death penalty are working for peace.» -- Suezann Bosler, whose father Rev. Billy Bosler was murdered in 1986.
«Even though I lost loved ones, I just don’t have the heart to do that to someone else.... It won’t bring family back. I’m a Catholic, and I believe in the sanctity of human life. I also know the legal system is fraught with error, and it could put to death someone who is not guilty.» -- Kathy Bowman, who lost several family members to murder
«I do want to communicate to him that my mother would have been willing to represent him, and that she believed that everybody can turn their life around, that I know he doesn't have a lot to look forward to in prison, and I would be rooting for him to find something worthwhile to do there. ... My mother would forgive him.» -- Maureen Burford, whose mother was murdererd in 1988, Mercury News, 10/1/2005.
«Our mother had a strong opinion against the death penalty. I have a visceral response against the death penalty. I don't agree with it at all.» -- Peter Burford, whose mother was murdererd in 1988, Mercury News, 10/1/2005.
I was eight years old when my father was murdered. But even as a child one thing was clear to me: I didn't want the killer, in turn, to be killed. I can remember lying in bed and praying, 'Please, God. Please don’t let them kill him.' I saw nothing that could be accomplished in the loss of one life being answered with the loss of another. And I knew, far too vividly, the anguish that would spread through another family-another set of parents, children, brothers, and sisters thrown into grief.» -- Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy.
«It is past time for being silent about the death penalty. In Texas, we’re executing record numbers each year. Things have gotten so bad because people have all been silent and let things get bad. We are told many times that we are not supposed to forgive – that when people do horrible things to us we should do something just as bad in retribution. Those of us who know better – those of us who know the power of forgiveness – need to speak up. Every chance we get, we need to challenge the mentality that compassion is a weakness. Compassion is the toughest thing of all, but it’s the only thing that works to restore peace in our live.»
When my husband was killed a piece of me died with him, but in time I discovered the only way to heal was to let go of the pain and anger. I chose to honor his memory through compassion and forgiveness, not by creating more victims.» -- Carol Byars, whose husband, James Hapney, was shot in 1977 by his mother’s next-door neighborhood during an altercation and who died 8 months later.
When I heard King had exhausted his appeals, I began thinking, 'How can this help me or solve my pain?' and I realized that it couldn't.»
«Where is the progress in that? It is still murder. All the death penalty does is bring more hate into the world.» -- Ross Byrd, whose father was murdered in 1998 by three members of the Ku Klux Klan
«When we moved to Michigan from the East Coast over 30 years ago, we felt proud to live in a state that had never had capital punishment. After Ron's mother was murdered in Ohio, a death penalty state, we felt the same firm opposition to the death penalty. When the case came to be prosecuted, three sons and daughter-in-law independently voiced their support for our position, and we petitioned the county prosecutor not to seek capital punishment.
We have always believed that no human has the right to take another's life. We could never condone such an act. Even Mother's horrible murder could not change that.
In similar situations, so many people seem to focus exclusively on the terrible action of the murderer. But we firmly believe that the fundamental question is how we as a civilized society will act. To kill out of fear, hatred and retribution is to demean us all and ultimately to commit a second act of murder.» Ron and Carolyn Callen. Ron Callen's mother Leona Callen was brutally beaten and murdered in her home in a suburb of Akron, Ohio in 1991.
«The world is not a better place because the State of Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker. Even though Karla murdered my only sibling -- my sister, Deborah, who had raised me after our mother died -- I stood with her as one of her witnesses when she was executed. I was there to stand up for the Lord, for the strength of his love. Karla and I had both done a lot of wrong in our lives. We had both turned to drugs to heal our pain; we had both hurt a lot of people. But the love of Jesus Christ transformed us. We were able to forgive ourselves and each other. "I love you Ronnie," was one of the last things Karla said. I still carry that love with me.»
For eight years I wrestled with the death penalty issue in my life. I spent many hours and days pondering this way of life and death. I had hoped that maybe even witnessing the execution would have given me the closure that everyone speaks of. I have found that the death penalty did not solve any of that, however I also have found that it does create more victims.» -- Ronald W. Carlson, whose sister Deborah was murdered by Karla Faye Tucker in 1983
«And when they said, 'Do you want, you know, the death penalty?' My wife was the first one. She said no. No, it's not for us to deal with the obvious. And my thought was, 'Hey man. They could poison, they could strap 1,000 of these people in the chair.» -- Bill Cosby, whose son was murdered, Larry King Live, 12/10/2003.
