Posted on 03/01/2002 8:37:07 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
GENEVA - As always, the tolls that broke the relative silence marked the hour. But extra high-pitched peals, spaced several seconds apart, sounded for two more minutes, signaling St. John's Chapel's participation in a national anti-death penalty initiative.
Yesterday was the second time the chapel has participated in the initiative, called "For Whom the Bells Toll," agreeing to sound the carillon at 6 p.m. every day that a prisoner is executed in the United States. Institutions that don't have bell towers raise a banner that reads: "For whom the bells toll for each person executed."
Last evening, the bells rang in opposition to the execution of Monty Delk, who was on death row for more than 10 years for killing a Texas man. He was executed at 6 p.m. CST in Huntsville, Texas. A reprieve that had been won by his attorney was vacated only four hours earlier by a federal court.
The national campaign is led by Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, a criminal justice reform group in Washington, D.C.
Campaign coordinator Dorothy Briggs of Massachusetts said hundreds of institutions, mostly churches, have been participating since it began last year. She could not say exactly how many are involved, however, because many hear about the campaign by word of mouth and often don't contact her.
For example, she learned of Hobart and William Smith's participation from a reporter.
Lesley Adams, the Colleges' chaplain, heard about the campaign from William Smith freshman Emily Blaufuss, whose hometown church in the Schenectady area has participated. The student group Refuse and Resist has held information roundtables and led a discussion on campus to raise support for the effort.
"I think they were just hoping the students would notice," Refuse and Resist member Audrey Southern said of organizers' intentions.
Southern, a freshman, was eating dinner in the Scandling Center at 6 p.m. and said it was too noisy to hear the bells. However, she said, the chapel's bells can be heard inside many of the buildings on campus.
The chapel was open for prayer, but no one was inside.
Information about the executions comes from sources such as Amnesty International USA's Web site.
Hobart junior Mike Gerard, who supports the death penalty, was unaware of the chapel's plans yesterday afternoon, but he said he thinks students should be respectful of the bells because someone has died.
Adams said her opposition to the death penalty comes from her religious beliefs. She said the Bible commands that "thou shall not kill" and teaches that final judgment belongs to God.
She said she hasn't heard much student opposition to the chapel's participation in the initiative.
Sophomore Kevin Griswold, however, said he does not support it.
"I'm definitely in favor of the death penalty," said Griswold, adding that he thinks it should be extended to include other serious crimes besides murder.
Blaufuss said she's glad the chapel is participating.
While she's still formulating her opinion about the death penalty, she said she opposes it because she thinks it's impossible to be 100 percent certain that someone is guilty under the current justice system.
Briggs called executions "state-sanctioned murders" and lamented that innocent people have been executed in the United States.
And, Dorothy, would you care to give us their names?
"Gee, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas any more."
As far as the commandment "You shall not kill"; the actual translation is "You shall not murder"; the Hebrew differentiates between the words murder and kill.
Seems that some of these halfbrained ministers should know that.
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