Danny Glover Speaks Out

Actor and death penalty opponent Danny Glover caused a stir when he took an uncompromising stand against the death penalty at a seminar at Princeton University in November.

Glover made it clear that he is against the death penalty in all cases, even in that of Osama bin Laden: "The death penalty is inhumane...whether that person is in a [jail] or it’s bin Laden." This made national news in a mainstream media that has demanded blood in the wake of September 11 and celebrated the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

Glover spent the first half of his talk denouncing the death penalty, which he called "homicide as the official tool of the state." He then criticized the Bush administration’s war drive, especially Attorney General John Ashcroft’s attack on civil liberties.

"It gets even worse," Glover said. "This week President Bush implemented a military tribunal...which will make it easier for us to execute. This clearly is a slippery slope. We must stand vigilant against Bush in these times and work with the abolitionists. One of the main purveyors of violence in this world has been this country, whether it’s been against Nicaragua, Vietnam or wherever...I’ve been an advocate for peace my whole life. But one of the main purveyors of violence in this world is this country."

The New Abolitionist - December 2001, Issue 22
Campaign To End The Death Penalty, Chicago, IL - www.nodeathpenalty.org