THIS MAN IS INCARCERATED WITH TERRANCE. HE IS SCHEDULED TO BE MURDERED ON NOV. 7 BY THE STATE OF NC. MENTAL RETARDATION IS A FACTOR IN HIS CASE. IM LOOKING FOR ARTICLES NOW BUT HAVENT HAD MUCH LUCK. LETS DO WHAT WE CAN TO STOP THIS. ALSO PLEASE GO TO THE PETITION FORUM AND SIGN MY PETITION FOR THE NC MORATORIUM. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN NC TO SIGN AND THIS WILL HELP STOP THESE MURDERS FROM CONTINUING

point me in that direction , i will sign , i have several on DR and its absurd to me , we are NOT GOD !!

GO TO THE PETITIONS FORUM HERE AND ITS CALLED NC DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM ITS STARTED BY ME.. THANK YOU AND PLEASE PASS IT ALONG

i have already signed it...

damn..this sucks. so NC murders people that are considered to be "retarded"? california does also!! :mad:

:idea: cant we all just get along? :hmm:

I KNOW MELISSA ITS SO RIDICULOUS BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR IT ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

Dang I didnt know they still murder people who are mentally challanged thats awful. Like said before, we are far from God!!! That is very disturbing to me!!!

I will sign the petition!!

THANK YOU FOR SIGNING KEEP TIMOTHY AND TERRANCE AND ALL OF THEM IN PRAYER

That is so sick, killing a person with a mental illness. NC has to take a better look into there forensic mental health laws. He shouldnt of been even allowed to have to stand trial. This is disgusting. These people have no value for human life what so ever. I will pray for Joseph Keel. I hope the federal court can do something for him.

THANK YOU KYLA

Signed...my prayers are with them!

THANK YOU FOR SIGNING

I will send you some info on this one Kris, I will try and find the mental health act there, I think its different to here. A person with a mental retardation also normally suffers a mental illness and depression. Its horrible , cause they dont actually understand, and so desperately want to fit into the community. They have outbursts without even knowing what has happened, then forget about it as quick as it happens. Its like you can tell them to jump of a bridge and they will without knowing they have done it. I have worked with a wonderful lady that has mental retardation, she has been picked up by the police so many times. She gets up and down all the time, but is a wonderful lady, she sings and dances, and most of all, she laughs and cries. I just cant believe they can do this. This is a strong topic for me, sorry. I just get so sickened with the way people treat the mentally challenged. Im gonna go and write something up on that petition now.

Hey Kris go here

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/MREllisLeg.pdf

Can you print it and send it to him legal mail?? It explains alot about the death penalty in NC, and a execution on a person violates the 8th amendment. If you want me to get you any other info on this, let me know.

I mean I person with a mental retardation, but execution violates every amendment to me

North Carolina’s approach of addressing both prospective and retrospective cases has
much to commend it. It will avoid (or at least reduce) extensive litigation about the procedures to
be employed in both classes of cases.
In addition to whatever procedures the State chooses to adopt for both retrospective and
prospective cases, the Legislature can assure clarity by including a simple provision that
prohibits the execution of any individual with mental retardation. Language similar to that of the
Federal statute13 will accomplish this substantive protection. (Later sections of this Guide will
address the procedural issues.)
All States that have capital punishment should pass legislation that protects people with
mental retardation from the death penalty.
RECOMMENDED STATUTORY LANGUAGE:
No person with mental retardation is eligible for the death penalty.

You really need to check this out !!! Good reading. God I wish I was there, i would go and help this guy myself

I will go sign!

THANK YOU FOR SIGNING WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 4 DAYS LEFT ON THIS PETITION. AND KYLA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION.HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING OUT YET?

Kris, I just PMed you, Im getting onto it right away.

THANK YOU

from what i remember..(2 lazy to find the documentation 2 back it up now..but ill try 2 remember to do it later)..but, i believe i read that when they test ones IQ...thres +/- 5. and one is considered to be 'retarded' at an IQ of 70...i THOUGHT i read someone or seen somewhere or something that if one has an IQ of 70 or lower...that they arent elidgable to be executed...or...something along those lines.

does anyone know if that is correct or not?? ill try to look it up tomorrow....:hmm:

BUT i dont think ANYONE that is classified as 'retarded' i dont even think they should be in the REG. prison. they NEED to be in a mental ward. or something. gosh nov. 7 is coming up mighty fast :mad:

Terri Schiavo is fighting the Florida court system for her life. Consider her case by reviewing her web site: www.terrisfight.org. The Florida governor had to grant her a stay of execution on October 21. It had nothing to do with a crime committed, they are trying to execute her because of her cognitive abilities. The method of execution used is not lethal injection, but starvation and dehydration. That is the equivalent of placing a death row inmate in their cell, turning off the water, and not allowing them food or any kind of liquid until they are pronounced dead!

Terri is usually conscious of her surroundings, can acknowledge her parents, family, and love ones, and very much has the will to live. And, she is able to feel pain! However, her legal guardian wants her killed because of a "quality of life" issue regarding her cognitive ability. Terri has absolutely no idea what she might have done wrong, or why the system wants to murder her! And the American Civil Liberties Union is siding with that same guardian who wants to take her life.

I ask of you people to go to Terri's web site, and see what you can do. Like anybody on death row, Terri is also a prisoner on a death row imposed by her husband and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo. It is wrong to execute someon who is mentally retarded. It's totally barbaric to execute someone by starving them to death when they cannot speak for themselves, and have also done absolutely nothing wrong!

MrCoffee

OH MY GOD!! I am so speechless. How on earth is even been allowed to happen. MrCoffee, have you started a petition for this? Shes having to appeal for her life, when she has done nothing wrong. If they allow this to happen, god help us all, as it would be the worst mistake one can make with a human life. They cant allow this, cause how many people out there will just give up on people and want to follow suit. This cant happen. God, what is happening to the human race today.

There is a petition available on www.terrisfight.org, Kyla. And so far, it got 165,000 signatures. Governor Jeb Bush was so alarmed, that he had his congressmen develop a new law so that he could intervene, and have Terri's feeding tube restored.

There is evidence that this lady suffered a bone injury, and that the potasium imbalance alone would not have been enough to stop the heart from beating. Also, you can go to www.autistichat.net, where I have the link to her site prominently displayed on the front page. Autistichat is an autism support and disability advocacy community.

After reviewing Terri's site, I decided to make Autistichat not only an autism and disability support web site, but a pro-life community as well. My therapists, social workers, and case workers tought me a valuable lesson. That lesson is: Never give up hope for rehabilitation until ocilliscope totally flat lines!

Terri Schiavo's situation represents a wake up call for all who are involved with cognative, neurological, and mental health issues. If Terri's Law is overturned, it will open up avenues to have more people with disabilities on death row executed. Support in outlawing any kind of euthanasia will serve to preserve the universal right to life that we all currently enjoy, and are entitled to. Thanks for your support, Kyla!

MrCoffee

I emailed the site to all my collegues for advice on this MrCoffee, I cant even explain the feelings that went through my heart when I read it, then I downloaded the clips on here, even my kids were crying when I told them what was going on. I am going to go and see our site, not only does my husband have a mental illness, he was crushed at work really bad, that has left him disabled. Life is just so horrible to people sometimes, but it doesnt mean we have to kill them.

Here is an update on the ACLU's support of the death penalty for severely cognative impaired individuals:

http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=14246&c=27

At issue is a one-time bill passed by the Florida Legislature on October 21 that gives the Governor the power to issue a “stay” to prevent the removal of a feeding tube from a patient who, as of October 15, had no written living will; was found by the court to be in a persistent vegetative state; has had nutrition and hydration withheld; and whose parents are challenging the withholding of nutrition and hydration.

The law reverses several court decisions issued on February 11, 2000, June 6, 2003 and September 17, 2003 authorizing the removal of the life-prolonging feeding and hydration tubes that have sustained Theresa “Terri” Schiavo for more than a decade. The court rulings confirmed that she has been in a persistent vegetative state since she suffered cardiac arrest in 1990._

Some persons in a vegative state "may have awareness" according to this article:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/orl-brainstudy102903,0,4833887.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

I will state again, that action needs to be taken regarding the rights of the severely disabled. If anybody here doesn't want a loved one "humanely destroyed" as if they were a cat or dog, or perhapes even harvested like they were livestock, then it's time to get involved!

MrCoffee

yeah i had read that on aol...

i think its NOT ok to let her starve to death...BUT..i..i dont know...shes been in this state for 13 yrs...but, to starve her to death. oh hell no. thats NOT nice. :mad:

but...13 years...thats a long ass time.

wishing her the best 'recovery'...which...its sad. this whole situation makes me sick. :(

I mean, its one thing watching a loved one in a coma, trying to breathe through a machine, and not responding, having to make a decision to turn off a life support system. But here, you have a alert lady, the videoclips I watched absolutely proved that. You just cant give up on people. If they do this to her, how many mothers will give up on there children. Love is unconditional, and I am a mother and love my kids unconditionally. How can her mother, sit there and let this happen. My brother was killed, and we fought that. Wouldnt give up hope. I always thought, if he woke up, and he was in a vegetation state, I would love him so much, I would have him live with me(though my mum would never have deserted her son). I would be so proud of him, and nothing would change. I just wanted him to open his eyes, no matter how his brain was. Unfortunetlly that neve happened. Her family should be sharing a wonderful life with this lady, because I honestly think that she could teach them alot. If I was there, I would try and become her carer, so I could take on her responsibilities.

YOU SAID IT WITH THE STRONGEST STATEMENT LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL... DID I HEAR THAT HER HUSBAND IS READY TO MOVE ON? IF SO DID HE EVER HEAR OF DIVORSE? I THINK THT HER FAMILY IS ABLE AND WILLING TO TAKE CARE OF HER... MY UNCLE HAD A STROKE WHEN HE WAS 38 1997. HE COULD FEED HIMSELF, BATHROOM OR BATH HIM SELF... I KNOW HOW HE FELT AT FIRST ABOUT HIS NEICE GIVING HIM A BATH CHANGING HM.. THE DOCTORS TOLD US THAT THEY WHERE GOING TO TAKE HIM OFF THE VENT HE WAS BRAIN DEAD. I FOUGHT THEM AND WOULD DO IT AGAIN..HE IS STILL IN A WHEEL CHAIR BUT CAN GET OUT OF BED HIM SELF, TAKE A BATH FEED HIMSELF, WALK A FEW STEPD AND MOST IMPROTANT HE LOVES LIFE..I WOULD FIGHT TILL THE DEATH FOR A FAMILY OR FRIEND TO KEEP THEM ALIVE IF I FELT THATS WHAT THEY WANTED... PRAYING HARD FOR THIS FAMILY......

That is beauful Louise. :)
My husband was crushed at work, ended up disabled, with a mental illness, in a wheelchair, then into the prison system here in Australia. I wouldnt dream of him being any other way, than the person he is, cause yeah, love is unconditional, through the good times and the bad times. This thread is about Joseph Keel, and lets not give up on him.

Can somebody here put up a link to a page that describes his case? I think it would be good to get a complete description of his medical condition, IQ level, cognitive abilities, and other mitigating factors. Perhaps NAMI should be involved if his condition warrants it (NAMI is the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).

Regarding Terri: It probably wouldn't hurt to start a new thread about her situation. Would you be up to keeping a discussion like that going, Kyla?

MrCoffee

When will people learn that it is not up to us to judge. It is not up to us to condem. Life is percious and should be spared no matter the cost. This is a travesty. That a man with the challenges I am sure he has had, will die an unfair and unjust death at the willing hands of the state. Singing your petition now.

Terri

THE PETITION IS CLOSED BUT THANKS FOR THE THOUGHT HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN BE DONE SOON

Mr. Coffee.
I would be more than willing to start a thread and keep the discussion going. You should also go to the mental health thread, I have tried to give people advice, but I dont know the groups to contact in the US, I know everyone of them here. Those groups are brilliant, they wrote me heart wrenching letters to take to court with me on my husbands behalf, they had the courts bombarded with letters from supporters. We have alot of support groups here, they want to help. I think that would be a good idea for Joseph Keel. I couldnt find much on him, I have his court transcripts, but all I could make out is he indeed does suffer a mental retardation ( I would prefer to state mentally challenged) and has a low IQ, but then the prosecutor got other psychiatrists up and rebutted the whole testimony. Unfortunetely for Joseph Keel, this is a difficult situation, cause his defense team had established the fact. I think getting in touch with all the groups though is a great idea. Can anyway on this thread PM me any of those groups in the US?