Six Hours Left to Live

Hello Friends,

Well, it’s a little before noon on Tuesday, and in about six hours, David Powell is scheduled to be poisoned to death by the state of Texas.

And I really don’t know what to say about it at the moment.  I mean, as usual, I’ve got my opinions.

But I’m not sure whether it’s appropriate for me to talk about my opinions about a person’s life, on the day when that person’s going to be poisoned to death.

Because a person’s life isn’t theoretical.  It’s more than just a subject to debate.  A person’s life can be fitted into a narrative, or a cause.  It can be interpreted and reinterpreted.  It can be endowed with countless meanings.  But it exists without any of those narratives or interpretations or meanings.  It is a fact.

And it is also a fact that, barring some unforeseen event, David Powell will be poisoned at about six o’clock this evening in Huntsville. 

And all I’d ask from anybody is that we stop to acknowledge the fact that his death is taking place, as it takes place.  Whether we agree with what the state is doing, or we don’t.  I hope we stop to think about the Ablanedo family, or the Powell family, or both, at about six o’clock this evening.

Because it is a big deal to know that someone is going to be killed, when they’re going to be killed, how they’re going to be killed, and not to stop and think about it.

Or that’s what I think, anyway.  But once again, what the hell do I know?

Love Y’all,

Robert

 

Here’s a photograph of “The Death Chamber.”
http://www.curenational.org/pogue/01.html

And here’s a clip from a movie about David:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoD-Hy20f_Q

And here’s a website devoted to David’s case:
http://www.letdavidlive.org/

And here’s info about the candlelight vigil that’ll be taking place at 4PM today, outside the Walls Unit in Huntsville: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121127214596407&ref=mf