Press Release

Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP), working with members of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, will conduct a nonviolent public protest action at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas, beginning at 5:30pm on Friday, September 10, to mark the 100th execution under Texas Governor and Presidential hopeful George W. Bush.

Protesters will affix 100 bloody hand prints to a banner reading "100 Acts of Compassionate Conservatism," while calling out the names of all those executed under death warrants signed while George W. Bush has been in office.

"George W. Bush would like to be President of the United States, and claims to be the 'Compassionate Conservative.' We want to expose this blatant contradiction as it pertains to the death penalty," said Abe Bonowitz, Director of Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP), a national group based in Florida.

"With this 100th execution, a mother, eight children, one stepdaughter and 22 grandchildren will be victimized by the violent and needless death of a loved one. Mr. Bush has created 100 new families who have lost a loved one to violence. Where is his compassion for these families? And what *real* assistance has been provided to the families of the victims of murder? There is no true solace in merely being allowed to witness the killing of another human being."

This event is set to coincide with the execution of Willis Barnes, scheduled for 6 pm in Huntsville, TX. He is being killed in revenge for the 1989 strangulation death of 84-year-old Helen Greb of Harris County. After almost 11 years on death row and three execution dates, Barnes still claims his innocence.

Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP) is developing a comprehensive, strategically focused grassroots based campaign designed to challenge politicians on the issue of the death penalty. A comprehensive website has been established at www.cuadp.org

"As we've seen most recently with the shootings in Atlanta and Los Angeles, politicians like Bush, Gore, Bradley and Clinton are content to trot out the death penalty as a balm for the wounds of violence," said Bonowitz. "We must not allow politicians to shirk their responsibility of reducing violent crime in our country. Our challenge is to expose the death penalty for what it really is: Bad Public Policy."

 

Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
PMB 297
177 U.S. Hwy #1,
Tequesta, FL 33469
(800) 973-6548
cuadp@cuadp.org