Jack Payden-Travers, Director
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Delivered at the Protest of the 1000th
Execution Raleigh, NC
Dec. 1, 2005

Today is the day to stop executions in the United States of America. Tonight is the time to end the death penalty and shut down the killing machines across this land. Let us pray that the 1000th execution since 1977 does not occur here in North Carolina. Nor should it occur in South Carolina on Friday at 6:00 PM. Nor Maryland next week.

Let us pray that Gov. Mike Easley chooses to exercise the moral courage and political leadership to say "NO" to the forces of death. Tonight is the night to "CHOOSE LIFE NOT DEATH."

But if we wish to stop the killing machines, to end the torture of death row, to really halt executions which are carried out in the name of the "People" of North Carolina, and South Carolina, and Virginia, and Georgia and the list goes on, we need to find the courage to take that stand and like Rosa Parks say "NO. NO MORE KILLING IN MY NAME!"

You and I, like Gov. Easley, need to exercise moral courage and do whatever we can to shut down this system of death, known as capital punishment.

50 years ago this month, Rosa Parks refused to "move to the back of the bus." Did she end segregation? Yes in her life it ended that day when she refused to move. Did segregation end that day? Not by a long shot. It was a long hard struggle but it did legally end in her life time.

Will WE end the death penalty tonight?

We can, if you & I decide like Rosa Parks that WE will no longer allow executions to be carried out in our names. You and I are the "PEOPLE." It is likely that what we say and do here tonight, even if as in Virginia on Tuesday, a man is saved from execution, will not immediately end state killing. The machinery of death will move on to another state, another victim. But we know that it will end and we dedicate ourselves to ending it in our life times. We end it tonight for ourselves. We will no longer cooperate or be co-opted by the powers of death know as capital punishment.

Kenneth Lee Boyd is scheduled to be a human sacrifice, the 1000th victim. His death by lethal injection will not just be a North Carolina issue. It will be a national disgrace. His execution like that of the 999 men and women before him will only create more victims. We are here to remember all victims of murder tonight but not with more killing.

I bring greetings from all the members of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty who are with you tonight in spirit as they vigil across the Commonwealth of Virginia for an end to capital punishment. I thank you for coming out here. Together we will end the death penalty. We say "NO MORE, NOT ONE MORE!"

Jack Payden-Travers, Director
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 4804
Charlottesville, VA 22905
888-567-VADP (office)
434-960-4673 (Jack)
www.vadp.org
jack@vadp.org