October Headlines:

• Promote Peace....Wage No War Upon Iraq!...Act Now

• 37 People Arrested in Boeing Protest

• 2002 State and Federal Candidate Social-Justice Survey

• UPDATE Help Halt November 20th Execution of Bill Jones

• Missouri Executes Daniel Basile

Promote Peace....Wage No War Upon Iraq!...Act Now

These days our national government seems to be sadly steeping in a culture of violence and death. The White House, accompanied by an all-too compliant Congress, continue to loudly bang war drums, urging a pre-emptive full-scale attack against Iraq. U.S. military "operations," wars really, are ongoing in Afghanistan, Colombia and the Phillippines (this is not even considering the reality that most of the world's people continue to dwell in poverty while the few continue to prosper from exploitation and plunder).

Recently, reports have been leaked of essentially a "Pax Americana" plan, concocted by Vice President Dick Cheney and other administration officials. This twisted vision sees U.S. military forces being used to wage unilateral wars in two or more nations simultaneously. It can be very overwhelming to people struggling for peace with justice and trustful of the genuine goodness in humanity.

There is a strong spirit vibrant throughout this world though. Many of us saw it in the more than 225 people who turned out for the Town Meeting in Columbia on Sept. 30, or in the more than 300,000 who joined the peace rally in England or the tens of thousands who recently protested the IMF/World Bank policies in Washington in late September. We are a developing movement recognizing the inherent right of all peoples on this planet to have their needs met and to be free from the fear of U.S. and other government military-intervention to support the economic interests of transnational corporations. Let's keep on keepin' on!

** Please contact our U.S. congresspeople today and often to express your opposition to launching war against Iraq. Ask them not to follow the immoral leadership of the Bush-Chenney administration. You can call Congress at the Capital Switchboard toll free at 1-800-839-5276 or 800-648-3516, and ask to be connected to your Senator and Representives in Congress. You can also contact Sen. Jean Carnahan's office, in Jefferson City (573-636-1070); Sen. Kit Bond's office, in Jefferson City (573-634-2488); Rep. Kenny Hulshof's (9th District) office, in Columbia (573-449-5111).
Also, when you call Washington ask to be connected with Senate Majority leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) & House Minority leader Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO).

For those readers in the 9th Congressional District, Hulshof has stated publicly he has not yet made up his mind on whether he'll support the Bush-Chenney administration call to war against Iraq (hopefully, this is not just political posturing to appear to be sincerely deliberating his more progressive voting constituents especially from Columbia). It's imperative he hear from us.

For more information call 449-4585 (Mid-MO FOR) or 875-0539 (Peaceworks).

More than three dozen people, including Columbians, Steve Jacobs and Jamie Walters, were arrested 1 October at Boeing's plant in St. Charles after blocking trucks for three hours from leaving with their newly manufactured cruise missiles and "smart bombs" to be used in a new war on Iraq. More than 150 people attended the protest calling for negotiated peace with Iraq.

About a third of all missiles used in the bombing of Afghanistan earlier this year were so-called "smart" bombs made by Boeing, many produced at this plant. (We incorrectly reported a few days ago in our Oct. FOR News about the percentage of Boeing bombs used in the destructive, deadly war on Afghanistan). A few months ago Boeing added a third (all too appropriately--a graveyard) workshift to meet production demands requested by the Pentagon, in light of the anticipated war against the people of Iraq

"It's immoral to make the poor and innocent people of Iraq pay for the mistakes of their leaders while Bush and his oil buddies and weapons- makers reap billions of dollars and ignore international law forbidding attacks on other countries or the killing of their leaders" said Jacobs. Walters, dressed as the "Spectre of Death" pulled 16 toy dolls dressed as Iraqi children from a bag and laid them in the exit-way to symbolize U.S. disregard for the innocent. After blocking the gate for three the activists were finally arrested while trying to block vehicles from entering the plant. They were charged with obstructing a thoroughfare and summoned to appear for trial November 19th in St. Charles.

For more info call Lana or Steve Jacobs at 573-443-0096.

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Mid-Missouri State Legislative Candidates

Bill Jones killed Stanley Albert in January 1986 outside of Kansas City. There’s no disputing that nor, that Jones suffered from extremely poor legal representation and organic brain damage from previous head traumas. From our perspective it’s also beyond reproach that Missouri officials planning to execute him, late Tuesday night, just after midnight, 23 October-- are immorally themselves premeditating murder, disguised as justice. The FOR laments the fatal shooting of Albert and mourns with those who cared for him. Lethally injecting Jones—as planned late Tuesday night just after midnight on Nov. 20-- would tragically damn yet one more family and other loved ones to mourn their loss.

The Crime. Albert and Jones had met a few months prior to a January 1986 rendezvous. The state contended Jones, obsessed with Albert’s Camaro car, contrived to kill him then steal the automobile. Law enforcement officers apprehended him, following a high-speed chase with the Camaro. Albert’s body was found a few weeks later at a park on the outskirts of Kansas City. Jones contends he went with Albert merely to discuss arrangements to purchase the car, when Albert made unwelcome sexual advances, knocking him off a ranger lookout ladder then ultimately raping him. In self-defense, he says he shot Albert five times. We of course do not know what actually happened. Even if he did plan such a reprehensible crime, we would still condemn the state killing Jones to prove that killing is wrong. Other Issues to Consider…

Grossly Inadequate Representation. Jones’ family hired two private attorneys to represent Bill, Jr. Neither lawyer had ever tried a first-degree murder trial. John Frankum, one of his attorneys, was subsequently disbarred a few years after the trial, based upon his misrepresentation of trust monies. Evidence from state disciplinary proceedings also showed he suffered from alcoholism, including during the very period he was representing Jones

His attorneys deposed just one witness, a medical examiner and they neglected to research his self-defense claims. Frankum told a post-conviction court since he believed the court would acquit his client, the lawyers had not began their preparation for sentencing until immediately after Jones was convicted. The penalty phase was set for the next day. The lawyers consequently presented a feeble case for "mitigation" (issues helping to explain why a murder occurred. Jurors must decide mitigators outweigh the prosecution’s aggravating circumstances to spare defendants from a death sentence). The attorneys had not prepared his family members to testify on his behalf, did no research into Jones’ abusive childhood, his academic troubles (dropping out of high school) and they failed to arrange for a psychological study to be conducted on their client. Jones alone testified during the penalty phase. The attorneys allowed him to weave an unbelievable version of events-- professing actual innocence, even though the jury had already found him guilty. Jones current legal team have made extraordinary appeals to higher courts, hoping they will grant relief, especially since courts have intervened recently on behalf of two other Missouri prisoners whose attorneys also failed to develop a mitigation strategy. Jones’ trial attorneys were far less prepared than those representing the other two men, says one of Jones’ current lawyers.

Head Injuries and Psychological Troubles. Physical beatings were common during his upbringing; one family member struck Jones on his head with a guitar, rendering him unconscious. About five months before the fatal shooting of Albert, two men severely beat Jones with a tire iron at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City. Jones sustained numerous injuries, including a skull fracture. While hospitalized for a week, tests revealed he had suffered a cerebrum contusion of the left temporal and parietal lobes, and hematoma with associated edema in the right temporal lobe. Following his release from the hospital, family members observed many changes. He became volatile, moody, impulsive, and unable to control his temper.

Dr. William O’Connor, a neurologist, reviewed Jones’ hospital records, and concluded Jones suffered residual brain damage during the assault. The area of the brain damaged, he testified, could cause certain types of memory loss, gaps in thinking, and the inability to concentrate when in a state of panic. O’Connor opined that Jones, confused about his own sexual identity, entered into a dissociative or panicked state when propositioned by Albert and was therefore incapable of appreciating the nature and wrongfulness of his conduct when he shot Albert.

No Prior Violent Criminal Record. Jones had no other violent offenses, hence he’d not be among the most dangerous criminals (although no one should be), eligible for "death." He had two previous convictions of stealing in 1984. Out of concern for his safety, after the assault he regularly began to carry a gun.

Impact on Family. His death sentencing and now execution date, "has been extremely devastating on the family," says his sister Kathy Norton of Kansas City. "It’s a matter of how thick your skin is. Some of us have thinner skin than others. My mother is of that extreme. She’s suffering more than us all. She was in a car accident a few years ago, on her way back from Potosi and visiting Billy, when her car lurched (off the road) into a telephone pole" causing life-threatening damage to her carotid artery. Her family can’t afford the surgery needed that would extend her life. Norton also tearfully recalls the sensitivity of her brother. He explained to Department officials the day he learned of his execution date, "’I’m not crying for myself, but for victimizing my family’" through this ordeal.