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"Dead Man Walking" author visits Gaylord

October 19, 2000

Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book "Dead Man Walking" and three-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize appeared in Gaylord to share her experiences as spiritual advisor to men on death row and her work to declare a moratorium to the death penalty. At a luncheon for media, Sr. Helen told Northern Michigan broadcast and print journalists that the United States is one of 85 countries who has not adopted a moratorium on the death penalty and is responsible for 80 percent of all executions worldwide. She also stated that the U.S. is one of only two counties which allow juveniles to be sentenced to death. Even the former Soviet Union has joined other nations in signing an agreement calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. Prejean praised Michigan for its stance on capital punishment saying, "You were one of the first democracies to put in your state constitution that you wouldn't have the death penalty." She recounted the story of the Michigan man who was accused of killing his wife and children. The public watched the man was hanged, only to find out that another man was actually responsible for the crimes. The state ban on capital punishment came in 1846 -- the first English-speaking government to outlaw the practice. The prohibition was written into the state constitution in 1963.. "You need to work to preserve that," Prejean told her audience. "It only takes a few legislators to make a move to reinstate it. People must keep aware." In fact, beginning with the 1985?1986 legislative session, joint resolutions to reinstate the death penalty In Michigan have been introduced in every legislative session since then (with the exception of the 1991?1992 session). In an evening presentation that moved the 230 member audience alternately between tears and laughter, Sr. Helen shared how her journey led her to become a spiritual advisor to death row inmates and honorary chairwoman of Moratorium 2000, a group working to collect signatures calling for a world-wide moratorium of the death penalty. "People often ask me how I got into this," Sr. Helen said. "And I just tell them, 'I started working with poor people. In the way our system works, poor people are selected for the death penalty." Sr. Helen had been asked if she would be a pen pal to a death row inmate and when she agreed, she had no idea where it would eventually take her. She found herself writing to Patrick Sonnier, meeting him, and accompanying him to his death by electrocution. She told of the outrage at the crimes leading to the death of two Louisiana teenagers, David LeBlanc and Loretta Bourque at the hands of brothers Patrick and Eddie Sonnier. She spoke of the injustice of a system which allowed Eddie a life sentence, even though he was the one who actually shot the youths, while Patrick was sentenced to death. And she spoke of the victim's families, particularly Lloyd LeBlanc, David's father, and how he had come to forgive Patrick and find a sense of peace. "One of the assumptions we make about victim's families is that if we give [the perpetrator] the death penalty, then that's the way to give them justice and a way to heal this family and give them closure," Sr. Helen said. "It's what politicians say to legitimize the death penalty." Prejean said many politicians say they support the death penalty because they want to create the image they are tough on crime. "I had a politician take me aside and say, 'Personally, Sister, I'm not for the death penalty, but if I don't say I'm for it, I won't get elected," Sr. Helen said. "It's all image," she declared. Prejean's book was made into a movie starring Susan Sarandon for which Sarandon won a Best Actress Oscar. On October 7th, the San Francisco Opera Company offered the world premier of an opera which tells the story of Dead Man Walking and a play is also nearing completion and will be offered with minimal royalty fees. "All these different medium really help to share the story and help people understand what the death penalty is really about," Sr. Helen said. "We can choose the life road, or choose the death road. Choose the life road," she concluded. Following both presentations, Sr. Helen answered questions, visited with people and signed copies of her book. Copies of the Moratorium 200 Petitions were also available with over 150 people adding their signatures to it. Video tapes and audio tapes of her presentation, as well as copies of Sr. Helen's book are available from the Diocesan Secretariat for Communications. The Rose Resource Center also offers three videos on the death penalty available for loan: The Power of Forgiveness; the Story of Karla Faye Tucker; Talking about the Death Penalty; and Death No More with Sr. Helen Prejean. All items can be obtained by contacting the Diocesan Pastoral Center at (517) 732-5147. For more information on the death penalty or to obtain petitions, one may also visit the website of Moratorium 2000.