As most of you know, The Widening Gyre is devoted to encouraging publically accountable dialogue about community, social and political issues.

On many of these issues, I hold no personal position. On issues I have a personal position about, I nonetheless post a wide variety of views to promote public debate.

Shortly, after alerting my readers to the "Coalition for the Celebration of the Enrichment of Texas Society through State Capital Punishment Implementation", I received three letters of solidarity back from the Coalition, thanking me for my support and offering to celebrate the execution of Christopher James Beck, who in 1996 pled guilty to to counts of capital murder of three people: his cousin Florence Marie Marks, and her two housemates William Miller and David Kaplan.

I, myself, am actually a strong advocate for the abolishment of the death penalty. And a vigil was held in Charlottesville outside the City Court House (315 E. High St.) at noon on Thursday, October 18th. Nonetheless, I would urge you to read the letters below.

Many other articles can be found on my web site referring to the death penalty and capital punishment. Type in "death penalty" or "capital punishment" in the search engine on the sidebar of my front page.

Please send your thoughts about the Capital Punishment Coalition and the death penalty to george@loper.org where the most representative comments will be placed on my web site with full attribution.

George,

The CPCoalition appreciates your interest in our organization and its’ worthy cause. We further
appreciate your highlighting our organization on your page so we can reach a broader group of
supporters. As a resident of the State of Virginia, who is second in total executions (only behind the
United State of Texas), we welcome you as a member or friend of the Coalition.

While the Coalition usually celebrates only those executions carried out in the United State of Texas, we are taking exception this evening in recognition of your support of our organization on your web
page.

CPCoalition (electronic mail, October 18, 2001).

Greetings,

I am Lance Richards, sergeant of arms of "The Coalition".

My responsibilities include death penalty research (both state and federal), informing our members when executions are implemented, and determining the quantity (and sometimes even brand name) of alcohol that must be consumed by our members following an execution (i.e. if the inmate is elderly, the required shot may be "Old Granddad", or if the inmate is Hispanic, the required shot may be tequila, etc.)

I was recently promoted to Sergeant of Arms from my previous position of Execution Information Specialist (EIA); furthermore, I was made a board member of our proud organization. However, I am ashamed to admit that I was recently put on probation by our board for failing to formally inform our members of a Texas execution, an offense that I have vowed to never commit again!

My apologies have been extended to our members and I am now taking a more pro-active role (such as recruting members from the State of Virginia.) As a result, I very much appreciate you adding a link to your web site for our cause.

So glad to have new friends from the great State of Virginia to converse with over our favorite conversation topic, the death penalty. After all, Virginia is second in the number of executions by state in the United States. Second only to our own State of Texas. Thus, it is clearly the work and efforts of the politicians and citizens in your state that have made Virginia the highest execution rate per capita in the United States (we Texan's are jealous!)

Please be aware that tonight in the great State of Virginia at the Greenville Correctional Center at approximately 9:00 p.m., Christopher James Beck is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection for a triple capital murder. Mr. Beck, have a cocktail of a little sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, and topped off with a bit of potassium chloride.

The Coalition will celebrate this execution with one shot of Jack Daniels and looks forward to conversing with more folks from the great State of Virgina.

Happy Executing and God Bless the United State of Texas

Lance Richards, Sargeant of Arms (electronic mail, October 18, 2001).

George,

As a member of the Coalition I would like to offer my thanks for putting our organization on your website. I hope your website will serve as a conduit for new membership from the good people of the state of Virginia.

It is only on special occasions that the Coalition deems it necessary to do a shot after an execution in another state, but because of you generously mentioning us, I for one, will do a shot when the good state of Virginia performs an execution.

And considering Virginia is #2 in the country in number of executions I better head off to the liquor store.

Happy Executing

Ricky Shipp (electronic mail, October 19, 2001).