Should Troy Davis be put to death?

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Should Troy Davis be put to death?

By Michaela L. Duckett – September 8, 2011

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Good morning! Fall is on the way and cooler, dryer weather is in store. Today the weatherman is calling for mostly sunny skies with highs in the low 80’s.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news:

Uproar over Georgia man’s death sentence

The state of Georgia has announced that a date has been set for the execution of Troy Davis, who has won worldwide support for his claims of innocence in the 1989 slaying of a Savannah police officer.

According to the state’s Department of Corrections, Davis will be executed on Sept. 21.
This marks the fourth time since 2007 that the state has scheduled an execution for Davis.

Davis was convicted and sentenced to death in 1991 after eyewitnesses identified him as the shooter in the slaying of Mark MacPhail. MacPhail was working off-duty and was shot twice while rushing to help a homeless man who had been attacked. No physical evidence has tied Davis to the murder.

In 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Davis the rare opportunity to argue his innocence before a federal judge. It was the first time in the last 50 years that the court had granted an American death row inmate such an innocence hearing. During the hearing, witnesses admitted they had falsely incriminated Davis and others testified that another man had admitted to the murder, but the judge ruled that the evidence was not strong enough to prove Davis’ innocence.

Subsequent appeals by Davis have been rejected.

“This is our justice system at its very worst, and we are alive to witness it,” Ben Jealous, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, wrote in an e-mail to supporters. “There is just too much doubt. Even though seven out of nine witnesses have recanted their statements, a judge labeled his own ruling as ‘not ironclad’ and the original prosecutor has voiced reservations about Davis’s guilt, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy anyway.”

Others, including Amnesty International and dignitaries such as former President Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict XVI, have joined the NAACP in urging Georgia officials to spare Davis.

Jealous is calling on Americans to join in the fight by following these three steps.

QUESTION: Do you think this execution is unjust?
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Reverse racism? Florida teacher suspended for racial comments

After referring to the only white student in his class as “white boy” and commenting, “I don’t want the black people misbehaving in public,” a black teacher in Florida was suspended for one day without pay. The teacher, Billy Miles, is a 31-year teaching veteran. He was overheard by a substitute teacher who reported his comments to the school’s principal. Miles did not deny making the comments. Instead, he said he often speaks in a joking way with his second grade students. In an interview with the principal, the white student reportedly said that the teacher often refers to him as “white boy.” Another student reported hearing Miles tell the white child: “Get your white tail over here.” QUESTION: Do you agree with his suspension? (Read more)
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Families of Arizona prisoners must pay to see loved ones

Those visiting family members or friends incarcerated in Arizona state prisons must now pay a $25 fee. The “background check fee" is the first of its kind in the nation and is causing a lot of controversy. Critics and civil rights advocates say it places an increased burden on families, particularly those who have already lost a source of income by having a relative incarcerated. Family members who already must travel long distances or out of state to see loved ones also say the fee will make it harder to stay connected with incarcerated family members. Wendy Baldo, chief of staff for the Arizona Senate, said that the fee was designed to make up for the $1.6 billion budget deficit being faced by the state of Arizona. QUESTION: Do you think this was the proper way to balance the state budget or do you think the fee is unfair? (Read more)
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Should Gay history be added to the curriculum?

Groups in California are pushing to stop legislation that will require public schools to include classroom lessons about prominent gay people and gay rights’ milestones. They are working to create the Stop SB48 campaign – which represents Senate Bill 48. The law has been approved by the California Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Critics of the new law, which is set to take effect on January 1, say it will expose young children to sex and infringe on parental rights. State officials don’t expect the law to be implemented until the 2015 – 16 school year. It will add gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, in addition to those with disabilities, to the list of groups whose “roles and contributions” must be included in U.S. history lessons. QUESTION: Would you support the passage of a similar law in North Carolina? (Read more)