Forgiveness, Not Revenge

Consider how you would feel if you lost a loved one to murder. Would you rethink your views on the death penalty? For members of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation (MVFR), the answer is no. "Through our own painful experience, we have learned that vengeance is not the answer," said Marie Deans, founder of MVFR. "Capital punishment is an expensive, ineffective, and barbaric response to violent crime. It is not a solution."

For two weeks in June, MVFR members led other abolitionists on a Journey of Hope through Indiana and surrounding Midwest cities to spread their message of forgiveness and compassion and to call for an end to the death penalty in the United States. "For too long, victims' families and death penalty opponents have been positioned on opposing sides," said MVFR board member Bill Pelke, who led a fight to overturn the death sentence of his grandmother's murderer. "With this journey, we hope to join together under a common mission to reduce the violence in our communities."

Through rallies, educational events, and meetings with local officials, participants made special attempts to reach out to those who did not necessarily agree with them and to connect with people on a personal level. The Journey of Hope concluded in Indianapolis with a rally and a march to the State Capitol, followed by an evening concert and celebration. Throughout the tour, MVFR members were joined by local activists and representatives from other organizations including the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Amnesty International.

MVFR was founded in 1978 by Marie Deans, after the murder of her mother-in-law, to provide a forum and a voice for families and friends of victims who oppose the death penalty and do not consider it just retribution for the loss of their loved one. The group provides support to those who seek healing and forgiveness instead of revenge.

Recognizing Peace

The 1992 Princeton Peace Prize was presented in late May to the South Shore Bank of Chicago and to Martin Johnson, founder and executive director of ISLES in Trenton, New Jersey. The South Shore Bank was noted for its commitment to renewing Chicago's South Shore neighborhood through socially responsible investment. Martin Johnson led the ISLES community development organization in efforts to create affordable housing and to promote neighborhood beautification and empowerment.

The prize was first designed in 1991 to give national recognition to those who spoke out in support of a peaceful resolution to the Gulf crisis. It is now given annually to individuals or organizations that demonstrate extraordinary courage and dedication in their work for peace and justice, as well as to "share their stories as alternative models for action." To emphasize the importance of action on both the national and local levels, one prize is given to a person working in the Princeton area of south central New Jersey and a second is given for work that affects the nation on a larger scale.

Catonsville 9

On May 17, 1968, the Catonsville 9, as they came to be known, seized draft records from a Catonsville, Maryland Selective Service office and burned them with homemade napalm. The action was meant to prevent further injustices against the people of Southeast Asia and to force U.S. leadership to address injustice at home.

"We destroy these records not only because they exploit our young men," the group wrote in their original statement, "but because these records represent misplaced power, concentrated in the ruling class of America. Their power threatens the peace of the world; it isolates itself from public dissent and manipulates parliamentary process."

In May of this year, all but three of the original Catonsville 9 gathered with friends and activists at Goucher College outside of Baltimore to mark the 25th anniversary of the action and to reflect on the future of resistance. The weekend, which was sponsored by Pax Christi/Baltimore and other local groups, began with a panel discussion with the seven on the significance of their action both then and now, and a second session with a panel of other longtime activists on the future of faith-based resistance. Participants also took part in various workshops and celebrated with both music and prayer.

The event ended appropriately with a vigil in front of Martin Marietta's Middle River defense plant to call for an end to the company's war-making. Demonstrators held empty bowls to symbolize the needs that go unmet when tax dollars are spent disproportionately on the military. The original members of the Catonsville 9 were Daniel Berrigan, S.J., Philip Berrigan, Tom Lewis, George Mische, Thomas and Marjorie Melville, John Hogan, Mary Moylan, and David Darst.

Voices

Salem Community Church recently published the first issue of Voices, a quarterly newsletter designed to network Christian house churches and intentional communities. Organizers hope to link churches that work to nurture community and practice participatory styles of worship and decision making.

In addition to perspectives on the role of non-traditional churches, the newsletter includes information on similar groups and publications as well as suggested readings. Its publishers are also compiling a directory based on the network and ask to hear from anyone involved in a Christian house church or intentional community. To receive the newsletter or to share information, contact Christian Smith, 5 Forest Ave., Salem, MA 01970.

Brigitte Kerpsack was news assistant of Sojourners when this article appeared.