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Friday, September 23, 2011

VSU Reacts to Troy Davis Outcome



VSU's The Spectator

Date: Sep 22nd, 2011 • Categories: 2011-09-22Fall 2011NewsTop Headlines • 47 views 
The mood was somber outside West Hall on Wednesday night as the VSU NAACP gathered to pay tribute to Troy Davis at the scheduled time of his execution.
“I feel it is pretty pitiful the justice system did not grant this man clemency,” Valious Smith, NAACP member said.
“They are killing an innocent man with pretty much no evidence.”
The group gathered together right before 7 p.m., holding hands in a circle while being lead in a prayer.
Some people cried, and as a bell from a nearby church struck seven o’clock, the group continued to hold hands as the VSU NAACP president, Deandre Jones, spoke to the group before they disbanded.
The supporters were all in for a surprise, however. At the last minute, it was announced that his execution had been delayed.
The Supreme Court had decided to grant a temporary stay to Davis, but after three and half hours of deliberation, Davis was sentence to execution by lethal injection at 11:08 p.m.
Many students expressed their opinions through outlets like Twitter and Facebook, but some students believed that it was too little too late.
“It shouldn’t take something like this to get people together,” Akua Twenewaa, a nursing major and member of the African Student Association, said. “But I was just thinking that prayer is powerful.”
The VSU NAACP and the ASA have seen their efforts to help Davis at least temporarily rewarded, but not everyone was thrilled about the sudden attention the case has seen.
“Here they are coming up to the last minute and coming up with stuff that is not true,” Anneliese MacPhail, the mother of victim Mark MacPhail, told WLTZ 38 News in an interview Wednesday.
“You had the chance and you didn’t. I think he got a fair trial, his peers found him guilty, let’s get this over with.”
One piece of the case that many people calling for clemency cite is the fact that seven of the original nine witnesses have recanted their earlier testimony, and one of the original witnesses is now thought by many to be the real murderer of MacPhail.
Supporters of Davis insist there is too much doubt for this case to warrant a death sentence in this case.
“I’m proud of the international community for coming out to support Troy Davis at this time,” Jones said. “There was no evidence in this case.”

Sunday, September 11, 2011

"I AM TROY DAVIS" e-blast campaign! Take a listen! Save Troy Davis!





Posted (via NAACP.org) on September 07, 2011 by Benjamin Todd Jealous, President & CEO

We’ve just received terrible news: the State of Georgia has set Troy Davis’s execution date for midnight on September 21, just two weeks from today.
This is our justice system at its very worst, and we are alive to witness it. There is just too much doubt.
Consider the situation: Seven out of nine witnesses have recanted their statements; several more have come forward to identify one of the two remaining witnesses as the actual killer; and, earlier this summer, the judge in his final hearing labeled the case against troy as “not ironclad.” Nonetheless, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy anyway.
Time is running out, and this is truly Troy’s last chance for life.
But through the frustration and the tears, there is one thing to remain focused on: We are now Troy Davis’ last hope. And I know we won’t let him down.
There are three steps you can take to help Troy:
1. Sign the petition to the Board of Pardons and pass this on to your friends and family. Each name means a more united front for justice:
2. Send a message of support to Troy as he fights for justice on what may be the final days of his life.
3. Make sure everyone knows about this injustice. Spread the word on Facebook andTwitter (hashtag #TooMuchDoubt) so that Troy Davis’ story can be heard. We still have a chance to save his life, but only if people are willing to speak out against injustice.
Today, the State of Georgia has declared their intention to execute a man even though the majority of the people who put him on the row now say he is innocent many implicate one of the other witnesses as the actual killer. Now that a date has been set, we cannot relent. We must redouble our efforts. Thank you for your help.