WTI Board Member Ron Keine writes of activism in Texas

Witness to Innocence members recently attended the 19th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty in Austin, Texas. The following was written by death row exoneree Ron Keine of this experience:

In the dark wee hours of the morning the great silver bird vaulted into the sky as it headed southwest from Detroit. Simultaneously in Baltimore, Orlando, Shreveport and Huntsville other great birds took to the skies to converge on Texas for the mission. In each plane sat a warrior, Ron Keine, Shujaa Graham, Gary Drinkard, Derrick Jameson and Albert Burrell. All brave and dedicated warriors to fight against the Texas death penalty in the state that has performed 555 human sacrifices of its own citizens, killing them in the most premeditated of all murders: EXECUTION. Many of them completely innocent of any wrong doing. Each of these 5 men are well-versed in the upcoming work ahead. Each themselves were on death rows in this county waiting for the inevitable when their innocence was discovered. Some merely days from their own execution.

Albert Burrell, Derrick Jamison, Ron Keine, Gary Drinkard, and Shujaa Graham

A busy day lay ahead for our first day in the belly of the beast. A speech at University of Houston and 2 radio shows. The university audience was amazed and emphatic. The internationally popular radio shows made a definite impact on listeners whom still called in long after we left the studios. The men slept well that night exhausted and completely drained of all energy. The next day was even more tiring as they led a protest march through the streets of Austin and spoke to throngs of audiences at the state capitol and at the Governor’s mansion. Monday morning. The great birds launched again to return the warriors to whence they came. Each man to wait in expectation of the next time they are called to educate the populace and save lives of countless victims of states that practice the archaic, barbaric and morally maleficent death penalty.