The Death Penalty Resource & Defense Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a fair and just criminal justice system for capital defendants. Their mission is to improve the quality of representation afforded to indigent defendants who are charged with a capital crime or who are currently under a sentence of death.This holiday season, they have an added cause: to raise money to provide Christmas presents for the minor children of death penalty defendants in SC. Before anyone gets all outraged over someone suggesting helping "criminals" over the victims of the crimes, stop and think for just a minute: these kids are victims too. Unfortunately, they are victims who will not even get the small amount of attention victims get in these terrible situations, because they carry the stigma of being tied to the people accused of being the cause of so much grief and sadness.
Capital defense is often an insurmountable and thankless job. We admire all our friends and colleagues who take on the burden of a job that really can wear a person down. One thing we have been told by our capital defender friends, is even the slightest offering of simple humanity to their clients can do wonders. Something as simple as their lawyers being able to help bring just a slight bit of joy to their children can help bring down barriers these people have lived behind their whole lives. If you truly believe in forgiveness and salvation, how can that be wrong?
We ask that this season of giving, you consider offering a slight bit of humanity to those who society has condemned. Surely...during a time of year built around celebrating ideas of charity, hope and forgiveness it would not hurt to show a little of that to the innocent children of these horrible circumstances.
If you would like to make a donation, please make a check out to "The Death Penalty Resource Center" and write "Christmas Project" on the memo line. Those donations may be sent to Laura Young, PO Box 50860, Columbia, SC 29250.
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