--Hans Bennett interviews Dutch hip hop artist Jav’lin Watch Jav’lin’s new video at www.freekenneth.com

Hans Bennett: What is Kenneth like?

Jav’lin: We’ve been together for two years. He is very loving, caring, passionate, and charming. He can light up the room when he starts smiling. When I first met him, this surprised me because so many death row prisoners have spiritually died. But Kenneth was still growing and shining after so many years on death row.

We both want to change the world by bringing stories of what we’ve seen and been through back to the people. He is so conscious and that’s beautiful because when you’re on death row, you don’t have to be conscious. He’s chosen to use the time wisely and really search for self.

H: How can folks help Kenneth?

J: We are making as much noise as possible, without being too outrageous, because we don’t want to offend people with it. We are focusing on the “Law of Parties”. We feel it should not have been used in Kenneth’s case because there was no conspiracy, and that alone speaks for itself.

We are collecting letters to the Governor and the Board of Pardons and Paroles, so we can let them know that people are concerned with Kenneth’s case. The Coalition to End the Death Penalty (CEDP) is organizing rallies and education events.

We don’t want letters like “this guy is innocent, ya’ll are on some bullshit.” We do want people to be honest, because that is our strength. Kenneth wasn’t always an angel, and he did get into some bad stuff. But, he’s not a killer, didn’t mean for anybody to be killed, and he feels bad about that. By law, Kenneth should have some form of punishment, but he should never have been sent to death row for it. We want people to focus on that in the letters.

Folks can email letters to Kenneth.Foster.Jr@hotmail.com and Kenneth’s attorney will hand-deliver them to the governor.

H: Anything else?

J: Most people on death row will say that they’re innocent, so I know people are very skeptical about issues like this. But, it has been proven before that innocent people have been executed. I would suggest that everybody thinks about the death penalty and that when someone is executed, the punishment is done. He then doesn’t have to live with what he did every day. Life in jail is so much harder in many ways.

Also, with life imprisonment, things can still be rectified. The authorities can admit to their mistakes, instead of executing someone who is later found to be innocent.
***
If you wish to read more about his amazing case on the web, go to: www.freekenneth.com or write:

Kenneth Foster Support Group
P.O. Box 14268
San Antonio, TX 78214

Also see Hans Bennett’s interview with Walidah Imarisha, following her visit with Kenneth Foster, Jr.:

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=12842

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