October 17 , 2006
7th ANNUAL MARCH TO STOP EXECUTIONS
Saturday, October 28, 2006, Austin, Texas
From the Governor's Mansion at 10th and Lavaca, participants will march to City Hall at 1st and Lavaca where the rally will begin at 4.30 pm. Members of more than twenty abolitionist organizations will participate. Organizers maintain that Cameron Willingham, Ruben Cantu, and Carlos de Luna were innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted and executed in the State of Texas.

September 26, 2006
Please note that we have allies in our anti-DP work. Recently, UUs in many states have formed or are forming legislative advocacy groups. Our Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) has sponsored a network of these groups and some groups have already targeted the end to state murder. Feel free to go to the networks website www.uusan.org and click on network contacts and see if you state is involved (and please get involved!). If your state is not involved, then form your own state group – that is what we are doing here in Ohio. It may be good to light candles, but it is in my mind it is better to take on those state legislators who think killing is justice. Also, consider getting involved with your local ACLU chapter's anti-DP work www.aclu.org/affilates/ . Feel free to contact me mgoekler@neo.rr.com if you have questions.
Peace,
Mac Goekler

August 17, 2006
UUADP is going fully electronic. Shortly those that subscribe, will receive our last written newsletter. We will be updating our website on a regular basis and will include new articles of interest there. In addition, we have started a Yahoo group with a familiar name - UUADP. This is a members only group though all members are free to post. This group like the website will give all of us better and more timely communication. PLEASE, make sure your email address is up to date. Now, what if you don't have email yet, -- you can always reach our website using your local library's Internet computer? There are many free email programs (yahoo, gmail, juno, hotmail, etc.) that can be used so that you can join our Yahoo group. Click here for instructions to join. If email really is not an option - you can print off our UUADP website as you need. The money we save by not printing and mailing a newsletter will be used for this expanded and timelier electronic communication, better services to our UU congregations and to provide quality programming at General Assembly.

Vengeance is never justice!
Peace,
Mac Goekler
mgoekler@neo.rr.com

Senator introduces bill against assisted suicide, with clause that allows death sentence to be carried out through use of controlled substance

We should all be interested in Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas).  He has introduced a bill, S.3788, in the Senate: the Assisted Suicide Prevention Act. We might find this of interest.  While the "dispensing, distribution, or administration of a controlled substance" will not be allowed for assisted suicide, the Bill will specifically authorize the same actions for carrying out the death penalty (see section 4(5) of Brownback's bill).

 I find that of particular interest because one study showed that physicians who were willing to assist in executions of prisoners for the state also were more likely to say they were willing to assist persons in hastening their deaths.
 
PEACE!
-- Larry Egbert, UUADP Congressional Monitor