Davis's execution is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on September 23rd (next Tuesday). Last week, Georgia's Board of Pardons and Paroles refused to overturn his death sentence, even though there is no physical evidence linking him to the crime, and even though seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted.
Justice? How can we be so sure in the presence such reasonable doubt?
By the way, Troy Davis is black.
Meantime, Kevin Cooper, also black, sits on death row at San Quenton. He has released the following statement on the Troy Davis case, along with blanket permission to forward it around as much as possible. His statement is presented here unedited.
As you read this, keep in mind the fact that minorities are executed at a much higher rate than white defendants who are convicted of similar crimes here in the good ol' USA.
"Brothers"
By Kevin Cooper
I have never personally met my cultural brother Troy Davis. Yet I know him as I know myself. This kindred spirit is in a different part of this country, yet we are experiencing damn near the same things.
I have seen Mr. Davis photograph, and he looks nothing like me, or me like him, yet he is my brother. His black skin is the only thing that makes us resemble each other, and as far as I know our skin is different shades of black. But in america, black skin is enough of a reason to find ones self in a fight for your very life, because in america, or certain parts of it, black skin is unforgivable!
Like Troy Davis I was once 'saved or spared' from being first tortured, and then murdered by a state government... if only temporarily. This happened to me on February 9th, 2004, when I came within 3 hours and 42 minutes of being tortured and murdered by the state of california before I was granted a stay of execution. I await the final outcome of the 9th circuit court of appeals decision on my case, which can happen any day. I do so knowing and understanding from experience the emotional stress, mental anguish, and psychological torture that my brother and his family are currently going through.
This unjust criminal justice system does not care about truth, or justice, it and the people who work within it for the most part care only about upholding the will of the status quo. These people have no right to take from us what they did not give us...our lives. Not only do they have no moral right, despite what they claim they have no god given right, or any other type of right to kill people. Not even a legal one, because their law is not only arbitrary, it's sick, it's inhumane and it doesn't work, just to state a few reasons why this madness must be stopped!
My connection to and with Troy Davis and his family is not only personal because of our circumstances, it's also historical because there has never been a time within this country that we black men and our families have not been more connected to each other because of our deaths at the hands of the white supremist power structure than we have been as everyday human beings. While this is a damn shame, it's the real truth!
I am being realistic, and trying not to be pessimistic in this reality that is fatalistic in the fact that I am maybe about the lose another brother, who like many of my brothers and sisters are innocent. Yet our innocence doesn't seem to matter to the sons and daughters of american hypocrisy!
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