We could not be sure what our plow would unearth or in which direction the earth would move. We were certain only that we would turn under the weeds, aerate the soil, and create a fertile bed for meaningful dialogue. When the film debuted, it ignited a national dialogue on the death penalty. But change comes slowly and our nation's march to death has quickened. This means poor people are more likely to receive a death sentence.
Race continues to play a primary role in determining who lives and who dies.
This reality led the American Bar Association, which has never taken a position on the death penalty, to call for an immediate halt on executions. The ABA has concluded that inequities in our system are so pervasive that they undermine confidence in the outcome of capital trials and appeals. Dead Man Walking has prepared the ground for a vital national debate on the death penalty. This unprecedented effort seeks to recruit churches, city councils, civic groups and other institutions and organizations to consider resolutions calling for a halt to all executions. Equal Justice USA has set an ambitious goal of bringing 2000 groups on board by the end of the year 2000.