Category: Crime and Punishment
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My OpEd in Support of David Gilbert
This piece ran in the September 12, 2021 Times Union, and they graciously agreed to let me republish it on my own website. David goes up for his first-ever Parole Board hearing on September 20, 2021. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am one of thousands of New Yorkers who support the release of David Gilbert from prison for […]
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My Comments for Crime Victim’s Rights Week 2021
I was invited to participate at a media event in support of New York’s Fair and Timely Parole Act and the Elder Parole Bill as part of a 2021 Crime Victim’s Rights Week event on April 22, 2021. I was in an amazing lineup of speakers (mostly other women of color!) who broke down why […]
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Pleading for a father’s life after a mother’s murder
I felt such a sense of horror when I read about a 14-year old girl who petitioned the state of Missouri asking them not to execute her father for the gruesome murder of her mother and sister. Her petition was turned down, and the state executed Richard Strong this week. The state willfully orphaned her, saying that this is what “justice” looked like, with the vocal support of some of her relatives. It’s like a scene from some movie about a king or queen executing a peasant to show how powerful he is, and a child begging for mercy to no avail. Except that this is real.
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“Criminals,” “Illegals,” “Terrorists” and #AllLivesMatter
My heart broke just a little bit more every time I saw the reactionary #AllLivesMatter hashtag. Because mostly, white people were using it as a rude rebuke to undermine the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag. That’s sad on so many levels. And of course, all lives do matter, so I think we should take over the #AllLivesMatter hashtag, […]