Joyce Ford: "My son is innocent
... Help me save his life."
On this
day of celebration of the life and work of one of the most visible
advocates of non violence and direct action, I respectfully ask that you
take a moment to learn of a man who, inspired by Dr Martin Luther King's
life, is currently taking his own stand against oppression, racism and
injustice. This man is my son, Tony Egbuna Ford. Tony is currently
housed on Texas Death Row at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston. Tony is
under the sentence of death for a crime of which he was convicted some 14
years ago. Tony is innocent.
One may
ask, what makes Tony's a case which stands out to be worthy of
highlighting on such a day. What makes this man someone people must hear
about? Of course when I address this question, I speak firstly,
instinctively, as a mother - as a woman who personally witnessed her son's
strength, endurance, dignity and innocence. But, I write also as a
believer in justice, a believer in struggle, a believer in truth, when I
say that what makes Tony someone worthy of your attention is not only his
innocence of the crime for which the state seeks to murder him, but also
his character. His refusal to lay down and die without a fight. His
refusal to give in when giving in would be the easy thing to do. His
refusal to accept what is unacceptable -what should be unacceptable to
us all.
Tony is
currently involved in a peaceful, non violent protest against his
execution. Led by his own moral and spiritual beliefs, and driven forward
by the guiding examples of men such as Dr King, Tony is engaging in sit
in's and other non violent actions to protest his impending murder by the
state. His own personal decision to engage in such actions has inspired
many other men to also take a stand alongside him, not only against his
execution date but also all unjust executions past and present. The
reaction to this protest mirrors so clearly the reaction to the
demonstrations engaged in by Dr King and his supporters. Tony has been
subjected to verbal and physical retaliation of a hugely disproportionate
order. Such retaliation from the prison staff has included gassings,
beatings, the withholding of all property including clothing and bedding.
Tony has suffered many threats from the prison administration including
the threat that they will “run off” his attorney, and that any one who
attempts to visit with him for one of his visits will be told that he
refuses to see them. Such tactics have been employed by the Warden
himself, ranking officers, and right down to the guards who report to
them Tony was told by the Warden himself, that he “can't wait til they
kill him”, that he “can't wait til they kill all you motherf***ers”. Tony
has been told his life has “no worth”. And chillingly, Tony has also been
told that no one outside of the prison walls will ever get to hear of his
protest.
We, as
Tony's supporters, are fighting against this attempted suppression of the
heroic stance these men are taking a fight which undeniably endangers not
only their health and well being, but also their lives. We refuse to let
the truth go untold. In the words of Dr King himself “we refuse to accept
that the bank of justice is bankrupt”. And we ask that you join with us
in solidarity and stand in opposition to the barbaric treatment of all men
on Death Rows all over this country, and indeed the world, and we ask that
you stand in opposition to the murder of an innocent man. We ask that you
take the time to learn about this remarkable man. We challenge you to
read about him, to talk to his family, to his friends, to get to know
him. We challenge you to do all this and not be moved to take action to
save his life.
When
asked why he personally had chosen to take such a stance, a stance which
involved the sacrifice of every last minor “privilege” his good conduct
had afforded him, Tony stated that he could not take this injustice
without fighting against it, he would not allow his execution to be “just
business as usual”.
I am
calling on you all when I ask that you too do not let Tony's state
sanctioned murder be business as usual. For in doing so you inextricably
link yourself to this barbaric act of injustice. I ask you not only to
fight for Tony, but to fight all the other Tony's whose voices are not so
strong I ask you to remember the words of Dr King and join with us as we
“shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice
emerges”. Justice for all.
