Although FBI statistics actually indicate a decrease in crime in the past few years, there remains a public hysteria over crime accompanied by escalating calls for harsher punishment, including the death penalty. Recently elected Republican Govenor Tom Ridge has promised to speed up the death penalty process, making very real the possibility that Pennsylvania will resume executions for the first time since 1962. This prospect raises serious concerns for social justice activists and communities of color. Historically racist and classist, state-sanctioned murder continues to discriminate overwhelmingly against minorities and the poor.

Currently in Pennsylvania, over 170 people languish on death row. Although representing only 9 percent of the state population, blacks account for an astounding 61 percent of those facing the death penalty. Nationally, blacks who kill whites are executed regularly, while only once has a white been executed for killing a black. While wealthy defendants can afford qualified lawyers and rarely receive the death sentence, poor defendants are often stuck with court-appointed attorneys with little or no experience in capital cases. For instance, in Philadelphia, only about 80 of the city's 8000 lawyers both qualify and are willing to represent capitally-charged defendants because often it takes years to get financially compensated. Additionally, numerous statistical studies fail to show that the death penalty has any deterring effect on violent crime. Nonetheless, Pennsylvania politicians are pushing harder to resume this racist, barbaric, and ineffective practice.

On Jan. 17, numerous church, civil rights, and social justice organizations will gather at Governor-elect Tom Ridge's inauguration in Harrisburg to show their opposition to the death penalty. Penn State students interested in joining this state-wide call for justice are invited to attend a meeting held by Students and Youth Against Racism at 5 p.m. this Friday in 323 HUB where transportation arrangements will be made. Join us in this fight against injustice.