February 2000
Dear Friend,
10, 9, 8 . . . 3, 2, 1 . . . Happy New Year!
Do you remember the excitement in the air at the turn of the century? The anxiety about what would happen in Y2K? Whether celebrating with a night out or a quiet evening at home watching it all on TV, we will share the memories for years to come.
Traditionally, New Years is also a time to make a resolution that will last throughout the year – to quit smoking, lose 20 pounds, or get more exercise.
The Moratorium Now! campaign has made its own New Year’s resolution. We have resolved to gather together an additional 1,350 organizations to pass resolutions urging a moratorium on executions – bringing the total number of groups on our National Tally to 2,000 by the end of this year. This is an ambitious commitment; it means adding four new groups a day, every day for the entire year!
Why gather resolutions?
Because change does not occur in a vacuum. Each resolution – whether from a city council, faith community, labor union, co-op, or club – is another building block in the political foundation needed for moratoriums to be enacted. Each group represents people who elect officials at the local, state and national level. When ratified resolutions reach those elected leaders, we communicate a shift in public understanding about the death penalty.
Resolutions from organizations and city councils get media attention. Each time the news of the moratorium appears in the mainstream press, our impact is multiplied and the public is further educated about economic and racial disparities in the death penalty system.
State by state, resolution drives are laying the groundwork for moratorium legislation. Over and over, people involved in this campaign find that providing real information leads people to support a halt to executions. Activists in Texas are beginning to gather moratorium resolutions throughout the state from religious bodies, local organizations and city councils in preparation for the introduction of moratorium legislation in 2001.
The political climate to push for a moratorium in state legislatures is ripening. With each new case of innocence, eight in 1999 alone, politicians’ comfort with executions is shaken. Let’s make 2000, the year of the presidential election, the year that the first legal moratorium on executions is enacted.
Reaching 2K in Y2K
Much activity is planned for the coming year.
Equal Justice USA’s staff organizers, Dylan Grimes and Trisha Kendall, are working to ignite state resolution drives. Plans include holding informational and training sessions as well as speaking at conferences and organizational meetings. Regular conference calls continue to link key activists from around the country.
At the initiative of Pennsylvania Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty, we are exploring a unique state-national alliance which potentially can be mimicked around the country. Our work together will focus on collecting resolutions to press for pending moratorium legislation.
Nationally, we are forwarding the moratorium movement with numbers. The Moratorium Now! message will reach hundreds of thousands of new people this year alone via the internet, mail, phone, national media outlets, word of mouth and the distribution of organizing packets.
Your time and resources are pivotal to all we have achieved and the work we embark on this year.
Make a New Year’s resolution to Moratorium Now!
1) Resolve to recruit at least one new resolution. Can you help us open doors to people and organizations not yet represented in the movement? The current issue of Moratorium News! is intended to get you started. It includes a step-by-step guide to help you recruit your city or county council, the National Tally of groups, and snapshots of what people are doing in various states. Call us or visit www.quixote.org/ej for additional materials and ideas.
2) Make an immediate donation of $250. Consider making a pledge monthly, quarterly or on any other schedule that fits your budget. Whatever you can contribute, know that it is making a difference. Our organizing efforts multiply with your support. (You can now make a donation online using our secure server.)
2K in 2K is in within our reach. Together, we can realize it by year’s end.
P.S. If you would like to be involved locally in the moratorium movement and are looking to join with other people in your area, contact us. We can link you into our growing network of activists. Share with us what you know about legislative activity in your area by contacting Trisha Kendall at our office or at trishak@quixote.org.
P.P.S. Some of you have expressed concerns about not being able to contribute every time you receive a mailing from us. Please know that we are thankful for your support whenever you can give it. Our regular mailings are meant to keep you informed about moratorium efforts, and the steady stream of donations that they generate allows us to keep information flowing. Again, thanks for your support!