PAGE AS Winston Salem Chronicle APRIL 26, 1990 Forum Crown\VDrugs) When you care enough pfhe politics of the death penalty Prices Good MARCH 21, 22,23 & 24 to send the very best i in the wake of the very solemn Service, Selection & . From "The and celebratory 1990 Easter services Savings Prescription People" 4>l worship, programs, parades and fashion shows, particularly here in the ro , one would think that jthe cry "Crucify them! ... Crucify Condition Shampoo, 12 hr. 15 ml. jthem!" would not be heard with its Condition II, fcurrent frequency and national vol¬ ume. The raging debate concerning Spritz, Mousse, $Q49 ihe imposition of the death penalty as Hairspray or Gel punishment for alleged criminal activ¬ CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL ity has taken on an unprecedented By BENJAMIN CHAVIS JR. The state does not have the $300 power Polaroid T-420 to create life and the state should not Rave the power to destroy life. The the when were VHS Tape United days "hangings" part very far. States Supreme Court tenta¬ and parcel of this nation's sense of The Greek the phtlosopherPTaro.I tively delayed scheduled execu¬ exactingjustice. once said, "The death sentence should 37 tion of Robert A. Harris in California there are Today, approximately serve as an example for the profit of ? s while legal arguments are made about 2,250 persons on in the others." Of his mental course, what Plato mistak- | competency. United States. Across the believed was Former San nation, cnly that capital punish- Francisco Mayor political campaign consultants are ment would serve as a deterrent to Diane Feinstein is now in the - leading urging both Democrats and Republi- crime once others were aware of this | Hi Dri Towels polls in California as a Democratic cans to take of the --final form of candidate advantage politics punishment. Yet down 20" for governor. Yet Ms. Fein- of the death penalty. To our dismay, through the centuries the imposition f Galaxy "stein, who is known to be a liberal even some prominent Afro-American of the death penalty has only had the 3 speed Breeze Box Fan #3723 politician on mostissues,,was not the politicians have now found it neces- opposite result and in states in this 57* front-runner*in the "polls until she sary to join in the growing chorus of country where capital punishment is 87 recently declared: "1 am the only political voices the death now Democrat demanding operative, the crime rate has in who's for the death penal¬ penalty. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder of fact not decreased but dramatically ty." The television ads on Ms. Fein- Virginia abandoned his long opposi- increased stein's new pro-death-penalty position tion to capital punishment when he have seemingly captured the blood- announced his intention to run for We should not allow politicians lhtfsts^rf^he«teetorateinCalifornia..-governor. And now-even Andrew to continue to profit from their sup- Stack Table Disturbingly, the cry for capital Young, an outspoken civil rights lead- port of this evil in our national midst, punishment is being used more as a er, Christian minister and former political strategy to lure votes than as Mayor of Atlanta, has changed his Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is execu- a moral stance on a critical social previous opposition to capital punish- tive director of the Commission for issue. Of course, American politicians ment to campaign in favor of the Racial Justice of the United tyave been known to flipflop on the death penalty as he runs to be gover- Church of Christ. 'Most rehabilitated' prisoner still waiting During the first week of April, one in the neck and stabbed the other out a three-hour block to meet with Wilbert Rideau went to Washington to death. Mr. Rideau and hear his side before xo address the annual convention of Gov. Buddy Roemer, who suc¬ ruling on the Pardon Board's recom¬ the American Society of Newspaper ceeded Gov. Edwards, also has gone mendation. Pish Editors. against the recommendation of his But Rideau supporters are not On the surface, that appears to be own Board of Pardon and refused to optimistic. Dr. Linda LaBranche and Aquarium normal particularly since Mr. Rideau commute Mr Rideau's sentence to Dr. Ted Quant of the Institute for Life Styles is editor of the award-winning The time served. Human Relations at Loyala Universi- Travel Accessories mm Angol'ue magazine. , Cast week, the Board again unan- ty in New Orleans are convinced that But any semblan$e of normalcy imously recommended a pardon for Roemer has his mind made upland ends there. Mr. Rideau, and Gov. Roemer has yet will again deny Mr. Rideau freedom. 25% Vfcs'l Wilbert Rideau is inmate No. off

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7.5546 at the - State Peniten¬ f? 1*- v ' .V tiary, better known as Angola. The - J y>' Angolite is the prison magazine. ..Wilbert Rideau is a convicted AGAINST THE GRAIN .murderer who has spent more than 29 _years at Angola, yet on this trip to By ROOSEVELT WILSON Washington, as on his many other Set of 5 Mips throughout many parts of the country to conventions, universities, to rule on this latest recommendation. They say he said as much prior to Pre Sun schools and communities to lecture Why the big deal about Wilbert the Pardon Board's meeting and thus $099 on journalism and about the evils of Rideau? made the Board's exercise one of SPF 39 Creamy 4 oz. crime and drug abuse, he was accom¬ First, he probably would have futility. SPF 29 Sensitive 4 oz., SPF panied by only one unarmed security been executed by now had not the Taton Smith, a spokesperson in 29 for kids, 3.5 oz. Mist or guard. U.S. Supreme Court ruled the death the governor's office, would not com¬ Mist for kids Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin penalty unconstitutional in 1972 after ment but chose to let the governor's Edwards called Mr. Rideau the most he had been on Death Row for 10 quote speak for itself. "I have met Bunyons rehabilitated prisoner in America, yet, years. That ruling automatically com¬ with the living victim. Another victim Potting Soil just before departing office, he com¬ muted all death sentences to life. I cannot meet with. But I have met 20 lb.s muted the sentences of a number of Of the 13 men on Angola's Death with the person who survived That prisoners, including about 75 ¬ Row when Mr. Rideau arrived on made an impression on me that I will ers, some of whom had committed April 11, 1962, all have been freed. not shake this week, this month, this jpore heinous crimes and most all of He is the only one still in prison year or a lifetime. Now I will meet whom had served less time than Mr. today. Many other murderers have with the subject and discuss it openly. Rideau. come and gone since Mr. Rideau has It will be very difficult for me to grant But contrary to the recommenda¬ been in prison, and many of them a pardon." tions of the Louisiana Board of Par¬ were multiple felony offenders. The These appear to be normal emo¬ FREE GIFT FILM :.>V PROCESSING. don, he refused to commute the sen¬ national average stay in prison for a tions until one views some shocking £ tence of Mr. Rideau. murderer is just over eight years. Yet statistics which Dr. LaBranche WRAPPING Bring you Fftn to Crown Drugs on the surface, that Mr. a model For Processing and get . Again, may Rideau, prisoner by reveals in "The Rideau Report," a with cosmetic or not appear to be such a big deal, but everyone's account, is about six study of alt murder convictions in any iid Set Of Color Prints there is much more to this strange- months away from his 30th year. Calcasieu Parrish, La., from the earli¬ fragrance purchase but-true story. So, this is not about Wilbert est records available, 1889, through of 85°° or more! V A 19-year-old Wilbert Rideau, a Rideau the murderer. This is about a 1976, 15 years after Mr. Rideau black man, was arrested for the Feb. system being terribly abused and received his death sentence. 2 Beautiful Color Prints for 16, 1961, murder of a white female administered unfairly. When a black man was convicted the Price bank teller during a robbery in Lake Mr. Rideau, an eighth-grade of a white woman, the death killing - Charles, La. Subsequently he was dropout, taught himself to read and penalty was imposed in every single of 1 < £.;. tried on three separate occasions by rose to a position of leadership in the case - 100 percent of the time. When Everyday! all-white, all-male prosecutors, judges prison, many times playing mediator a white man was convicted of killing and lawyers and on all three occa¬ in a community of tough guys who another white, the death penalty was or You sions he was convicted and sentenced play for keeps, and pumping life into imposed 23.3 percent of the time. PHARMACY Choose to death by a jury of his '¦peers" - all as its editor. When a black man was accused of May white males. His accomplishments have been killing another black, the death penal¬ Crown Drug stores th* 11 Wnwcvrr Mr R iron's puilt or rco>pni7M bv all the national media ty was imposed 10.4 percent of the welcome most third nfisirsiwa is not the issue here. He the of stories UltlC. v nf>. vfv nynrrvl nf fVin f 1 innocence and he has been subject mam i i i Yr/r confessed as a 19-year-old and today in and other And there was no record of any programs. Processed Photos says he regrets the "horrible thing I major newspapers, and he has been white ever even being charged for Present your Insur¬ Returned Already did." He said, "At that age what I did featured on national television shows murdering a black. est Bound InaMW ant M ance card to our |no*22.\ was an act of suicide as much as it such as "Larry King Live" and ABC's Taking this all as one big picture, and Photo Album. was murder." "20-20." it does not look for Mr. Rideau. Aat . :<8r pharmacists bright - our computer will . 4,,i6" «frt S7% Ivgs thin tt^rfrrrl |5mm prints Although court records show he In addition to Gov. Edwards, Upon learning of an earlier denial handle never gave his own account of what Louisiana corrections officials also of pardon, he said, "I violated the your billing. ExdusJv+ty af Crown Druga happened, the secretly taped "confes¬ have called Mr. Rideau the most reha¬ most sacred requirement for release, We Reserve the Right to Limit Quantities sion," which was on television bilitated prisoner in America, and his in the system. I chose to played believing try visit on# of convsntsnt Crown m? for three nights running in Calcasieu lawyers argue, "If we can't free him, to redeem myself, to try to make Drug Locations; v*» Hfry Jhm Right To Lurm Qumnt^m # t.»K ¦«* Visit a Croum Parrish, and prosecution accounts say who can we free?" amends, to try to make a contribution . Stem^rvWe. OM Mw*. U Optic Shop today, 10. Klnf, Cslswy CWIW located In Crown Stores m- he took three bank as Gov. Roemer told a class at as a sort of atonement 11. Drug ¦w employees for my sins." ... Wllkarttwv Mwy. M at the following locations: On a ride into the Louisiana State A black 12. «#17 Country CM *d. hostage. country, University Tuesday young, female journal^' IX Quay . WWlew Oak one that after 14. Now Msrtwrt Ihua - KemwevtWe Hens* ftlaN 6( the hostages tried to escape. afternoon Monday wlren Ore * « fHiiMMJiU A I m mtmm Mr. Rrdeau shot one in the arm. Legislature is in recess, he will work Please see page A7 «»ui», iifM . imngTon