Don't kill in our names : families of murder victims speak out against the death penalty / Rachel King.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

King, Rachel, 1963-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Capital punishment.

Capital punishment--United States.

United States.

Physical Description:

xi, 284 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, [2003]

Summary:

Could You Forgive the Murderer of your husband? Your mother? Your son?

Families of murder victims are often ardent and very public supporters of the death penalty. But the people whose stories appear in this book have chosen instead to forgive their loved ones' murderers, and many have developed personal relationships with the killers and have even worked to save their lives. They have formed a nationwide group, Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation (MVFR), to oppose the death penalty. MVFR members are often treated as either saints or lunatics, but the truth is that they are neither. They are ordinary people who have responded to an extraordinary and devastating tragedy with courage and faith, choosing reconciliation over retribution, healing over hatred. Believing that the death penalty is a form of social violence that only repeats and perpetuates the violence that claimed their loved ones' lives, they hold out the hope of redemption even for those who have committed the most hideous crimes. Weaving third-person narrative with wrenching first-hand accounts, Rachel King presents the stories of ten MVFR members. Each is a heart-rending tale of grief, soul searching, and of the challenge to choose forgiveness instead of revenge. These stories, which King sets in the context of the national discussion over the death penalty debate and restorative versus retributive justice, will appeal not only to those who oppose the death penalty, but also to those who strive to understand how people can forgive the seemingly unforgivable.

Contents:

Forgiveness 7

Chapter 1 The Lost Child 9

Chapter 2 Turning Grief into Love 29

Chapter 3 The Last Party 57

Executing the Vulnerable 83

Chapter 4 The Answer Is Love and Compassion 87

Chapter 5 The Last Word 115

Chapter 6 Keep Hope Alive 138

Grave in Justices 163

Chapter 7 Rush to Judgment 169

Chapter 8 Making Choices 189

Restorative Justice 221

Chapter 9 Beyond Retribution 225

Chapter 10 Healing the Soul 250.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0813531829

OCLC:

49726327