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Preemptive Thoughts: Scott Eizember Clemency Hearing December 7 in Oklahoma

Last updated on: December 5, 2022 at 1:21 am   by Jeff Hood

Preemptive Thoughts: Scott Eizember Clemency Hearing December 7 in Oklahoma 2022-12-05T01:21:29-06:00 Jeff Hood

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“Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  No matter your religious preference, the words of Jesus Christ echo down through the centuries.  Perhaps more than any other words ever uttered, they have come to be recognized as the very constitution of grace.  Daily, I wonder what the application of such words would look like in our age.  What does it mean to offer grace beyond that which is warranted or deserved?  Our laws can only go so far to create a society that exemplifies grace.  Primarily, due to the fact that laws reflect a baseline of society’s ethic not the height of ethical possibility.  By most metrics, some as simple as driving down the main road of most towns, Oklahoma is an incredibly religious space.  Yet, Oklahoma has a reputation for little grace when it comes to folks on death row.  The clemency process before the Oklahoma Board of Pardon and Parole is anything but.  In fact, we are more aware of mitigating factors than ever.  Intellectual disability and mental illness seems to be more and more prevalent amongst the condemned.  Racism plays a role in these death sentences…as it does in every other segment of our society.  Horrific childhood abuse is common amongst those on death row.  The circumstances are endless.  Such facts don’t excuse the crimes, but they do go far in humanizing those Oklahoma has chosen to kill.  Processes named clemency should include actual clemency.  Below are the names of 119 people (those executed since 1990) that Oklahoma has shown no grace.  How many of these had mitigating factors worthy of our clemency?  Maybe grace isn’t something to be worthy of.  Maybe it is something that should be given freely…or at least more freely than we’re presently willing to give.  The cost of the death penalty is high.  In fact, such cost is measured in these 119 circumstances where grace was withheld.

 

Charles Troy Coleman, Robyn Leroy Parks, Olan Randle Robison

Thomas Joseph Grasso, Roger Dale Stafford, Robert Allen Brecheen

Benjamin Brewer, Steven Keith Hatch, Scott Dawn Carpenter

Michael Edward Long, Stephen Edward Wood, Tuan Anh Nguyen

John Wayne Duvall, John Walter Castro Sr., Sean Richard Sellers

Scotty Lee Moore, Norman Lee Newsted, Cornel Cooks

Bobby Lynn Ross, Malcolm Rent Johnson, Gary Alan Walker

Michael Donald Roberts, Kelly Lamont Rogers, Ronald Keith Boyd

Charles Adrian Foster, James Glenn Robedeaux, Roger James Berget

William Clifford Bryson, Gregg Francis Braun, George Kent Wallace

Eddie Leroy Trice, Wanda Jean Allen, Floyd Allen Medlock

Dion Athanasius Smallwood, Mark Andrew Fowler, Billy Ray Fox

Loyd Winford Lafevers, Dorsie Leslie Jones Jr., Robert William Clayton

Ronald Dunaway Fluke, Marilyn Kay Plantz, Terrance Anthony James

Vincent Allen Johnson, Jerald Wayne Harjo, Jack Dale Walker

Alvie James Hale Jr., Lois Nadean Smith, Sahib Lateef Al-Mosawi

John Joseph Romano, David Wayne Woodruff, Randall Eugene Cannon

Earl Alexander Frederick Sr., Jerry Lynn McCracken, Jay Wesley Neill

Ernest Marvin Carter Jr., Daniel Juan Revilla, Bobby Joe Fields

Walanzo Deon Robinson, John Michael Hooker, Scott Hain

Don Wilson Hawkins Jr., Larry Kenneth Jackson, Robert Wesley Knighton

Kenneth Chad Charm, Lewis Eugene Gilbert II, Robert Don Duckett

Bryan Anthony Toles, Jackie Lee Willingham, Harold Loyd McElmurry III

Tyrone Peter Darks, Norman Richard Cleary, David Jay Brown

Hung Thanh Le, Robert Leroy Bryan, Windel Ray Workman

Jimmie Ray Slaughter, George James Miller Jr., Michael Lannier Pennington

Kenneth Eugene Turrentine, Richard Alford Thornburg Jr., John Albert Boltz

Eric Allen Patton, James Patrick Malicoat, Corey Duane Hamilton

Jimmy Dale Bland, Frank Duane Welch, Terry Lyn Short

Jessie James Cummings Jr., Darwin Demond Brown, Donald Lee Gilson

Michael Paul DeLozier, Julius Ricardo Young, Donald Ray Wackerly II

John David Duty, Billy Don Alverson, Jeffrey David Matthews

Gary Roland Welch, Timothy Shaun Stemple, Michael Bascum Selsor

Michael Edward Hooper, Garry Thomas Allen, George Ochoa

Steven Ray Thacker, James Lewis DeRosa, Brian Darrell Davis

Anthony Rozelle Banks, Ronald Clinton Lott, Johnny Dale Black

Michael Lee Wilson, Kenneth Eugene Hogan, Clayton Derrell Lockett

Charles Frederick Warner, John Marion Grant, Bigler Jobe Stouffer II

Donald Anthony Grant, Gilbert Ray Postelle, James Allen Coddington

Benjamin Robert Cole Sr., Richard Stephen Fairchild

 

On December 7, Oklahoma, through the Board of Pardon and Parole, will have the opportunity to proceed with yet another execution process, that of Scott Eizember (scheduled to be executed January 12).  As Scott’s spiritual advisor, I am by no means an impartial observer.  I have come to know him as he is, human…just like the rest of us.  Surely, there is no grace in killing.  Is it necessary to add another name to the list?

Catholic

Politics and Religion

fresh writings

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Bigler Jobe Stouffer II Donald Anthony Grant

Billy Don Alverson

Billy Ray Fox Loyd Winford Lafevers

Bobby Joe Fields Walanzo Deon Robinson

Brian Darrell Davis Anthony Rozelle Banks

Charles Troy Coleman

Clayton Derrell Lockett Charles Frederick Warner

Corey Duane Hamilton Jimmy Dale Bland

Cornel Cooks Bobby Lynn Ross

Daniel Juan Revilla

Darwin Demond Brown

David Jay Brown Hung Thanh Le

David Wayne Woodruff

Donald Lee Gilson Michael Paul DeLozier

Donald Ray Wackerly II John David Duty

Dorsie Leslie Jones Jr.

Floyd Allen Medlock Dion Athanasius Smallwood

Frank Duane Welch

Garry Thomas Allen

Gary Alan Walker Michael Donald Roberts

George James Miller Jr.

George Kent Wallace Eddie Leroy Trice

George Ochoa Steven Ray Thacker

Gilbert Ray Postelle

Gregg Francis Braun

Harold Loyd McElmurry III Tyrone Peter Darks

Jack Dale Walker Alvie James Hale Jr.

Jackie Lee Willingham

James Allen Coddington Benjamin Robert Cole Sr.

James Glenn Robedeaux

James Lewis DeRosa

James Patrick Malicoat

Jay Wesley Neill Ernest Marvin Carter Jr.

Jeffrey David Matthews Gary Roland Welch

Jerald Wayne Harjo

Jerry Lynn McCracken

John Albert Boltz Eric Allen Patton

John Marion Grant

John Michael Hooker

John Walter Castro Sr.

Johnny Dale Black Michael Lee Wilson

Julius Ricardo Young

Kelly Lamont Rogers

Kenneth Eugene Hogan

Larry Kenneth Jackson

Lewis Eugene Gilbert II

Lois Nadean Smith

Malcolm Rent Johnson

Marilyn Kay Plantz

Mark Andrew Fowler

Michael Bascum Selsor Michael Edward Hooper

Michael Lannier Pennington Kenneth Eugene Turrentine

Norman Lee Newsted

Norman Richard Cleary

Oklahoma Board of Pardon and Parole

Olan Randle Robison

Randall Eugene Cannon Earl Alexander Frederick Sr.

Richard Alford Thornburg Jr.

Richard Stephen Fairchild

Robert Allen Brecheen Benjamin Brewer

Robert Don Duckett Bryan Anthony Toles

Robert Leroy Bryan

Robert Wesley Knighton Kenneth Chad Charm

Robert William Clayton Ronald Dunaway Fluke

Robyn Leroy Parks

Roger Dale Stafford

Roger James Berget William Clifford Bryson

Ronald Clinton Lott

Ronald Keith Boyd Charles Adrian Foster

Sahib Lateef Al-Mosawi John Joseph Romano

Scott Dawn Carpenter Michael Edward Long

Scott Eizember

Scott Hain Don Wilson Hawkins Jr.

Sean Richard Sellers Scotty Lee Moore

Stephen Edward Wood

Steven Keith Hatch

Terrance Anthony James Vincent Allen Johnson

Terry Lyn Short Jessie James Cummings Jr.

Thomas Joseph Grasso

Timothy Shaun Stemple

Tuan Anh Nguyen John Wayne Duvall

Wanda Jean Allen

Windel Ray Workman Jimmie Ray Slaughter

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November 27, 2022

Scott Eizember: A Petition for Prayer/Action

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December 5, 2022 Pay attention.  Love is the test.  Love is the answer. : Save Scott Eizember!


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