Stop the Next Tennessee Execution: #March4Mercy is Dec 1, 2019
Greetings! I hope your Thanksgiving has been excellent.
Some folks spent a part of their Thanksgiving on Tennessee’s death row with men facing execution in the coming months. I imagine we’ll hear some reflections on that experience on Sunday, December 1st, 2019 as we gather for another march from Riverbend Maximum Security Institution to Legislative Plaza. We YOU be with us?
Why this Sunday? Lee Hall, Jr. is scheduled to be executed on December 5th. We are committed to take visible action on the weekend prior to each scheduled execution. The good news is that there is pending litigation which may stop this execution. Please sign the petition which we will deliver on Monday morning in support of calls for Governor Lee to grant a reprieve to allow time for the litigation to proceed.
DETAILS FOR SUNDAY:
- Starting at 1pm, we will gather in the private parking lot on the right just before you get to the prison
- By 2pm, we’ll step off to march to the state capitol.
- A break and second gathering point will be at the NAACP office (1308 Jefferson St.). We’ll aim to continue marching from there at approximately 4pm. If you are unable to join for the whole 9-mile march, this is a good spot to meet up — try to be there by 3:30pm.
- A final break will be on the terrace of Victory Park (north side of the capitol) prior to the final leg of the march around the capitol to Legislative Plaza. Join us for this very short final leg. Be there by 4:30pm.
- There will be a rally at Legislative Plaza starting at approximately 5pm to urge Governor Lee to stop all the executions.
Thank you! There are other ways to support this effort;
- Pray for the Governor, the prisoners, the legal team working to stop the execution of Steve West, and everyone involved in the system and the work to end executions.
- Send the Governor an e-mail at bill.lee@tn.gov AND call him at 615–741–2001 — Ask him to go pray with the prisoners on death row. Ask him to stop all executions.
- Order and send the postcards! (We’ll have them at the march and rally as well)
- Make a donation to help cover Death Penalty Action’s costs of supporting this effort.
- Spread the word! Share the Facebook event on Facebook and/or use this sample social media post:
Stop the upcoming execution of #LeeHallJr in #Tennessee! Sign the petition, get details for the #March4Mercy THIS SUNDAY (Dec 1), order postcards for your community to send, donate and more: http://deathpenaltyaction.org/march4mercy #EndTheDeathPenalty
Thank you! Yours in the Struggle,
— Abe
Co-Director, Death Penalty Action.
PS: Please make the most of every opportunity to work for justice this week and every week! Chip in to support this work, here.
PPS: Unless the execution is stayed, I expect to be in Nashville all week. Bill Pelke, founder of the Journey of Hope… From Violence to Healing and a leading voice on the Healing Power of Forgiveness will be here too! If you would like to get together with us or would gather folks to meet us and hear about our work, please reply to this e-mail or call me at 561–371–5204.
