An Open Letter to Legislators, the Governor and Citizens of the State of Ohio From: Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille.

Politics and Religion Writers

I want to invite you on a journey with me. I ask of you just one evening.

This July 19th, sit side by side with me in the darkness of a concert hall and experience the musical mosaic and drama of the opera Dead Man Walking. Together we will walk down a path leading to deeper spiritual reflection while exploring the darkest and brightest aspects of our humanity.

The Midwest debut of this opera, based on my book published in 1993, could not come at a better time or place. Ohio stands at a crossroads. Already this year, Ohio has executed two men, John W. Byrd Jr. and Alton Coleman. On August 27, Gregory Lott is scheduled to die, the fifth execution in Ohio in just three years. In fact, on death row in Ohio, 203 men await execution.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender estimates at least 50 of these men are mentally retarded. On June 20, the United State Supreme Court ruled that the execution of the mentally retarded is unconstitutionally cruel. However, this ruling may not save Ohio's mentally retarded on death row now. Some experts predict Ohio's Attorney General will challenge the applicability of this ruling to those already sentenced to die.

Isn't it time for Ohio to reexamine this system? Although pending legislation calls for a comprehensive study of Ohio's capital punishment system, the legislation is not generally expected to pass. Many groups, including my congregation based in Cincinnati, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, are therefore calling for a moratorium on capital punishment in Ohio.

The Governor of Ohio has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Illinois Gov. George Ryan. After the release of 13 death row inmates based on findings of innocence, he enacted in January 2000 a moratorium on capital punishment, stating the system was "fraught with errors." Errors may exist in any state's system of capital punishment. In all, 101 people have been exonerated from death row since 1978. I've accompanied five men as they died by the hand of the State. I personally believe that two of these men were innocent.

These experiences cemented one of my strongest convictions: that it is a profound moral contradiction to give the state the power to kill in order to prove murder is wrong. This may not be your viewpoint. Indeed, there are many views on this subject, all of which are expressed in the opera. The savage and heinous crime of the rape and murder of innocents is not ignored - but fully revealed. The excruciating emotional pain experienced by the family members of these victims is explored. Viewing this opera, you experience not only the journey of a death row inmate awaiting execution, but the painful journey undertaken by the family of two brutally murdered teenagers. Dead Man Walking is an artistic work reflecting what happens behind the scenes, away from the public eye, when collectively as a society, we execute a person.

Experiencing this opera took me to a deeper place. It is my sincerest hope that this will happen for others too. I firmly believe that art provides a channel for emotions and discoveries that we may not be able to access in other ways.

So please, join me and my congregation. There need be no argument or debate. It is my hope that by listening and watching this opera we may share more than an exchange of words. Look for me at Music Hall in Cincinnati this July 19th. I'll be the sister with the Louisiana accent, comfortable shoes and round glasses.

(Editor's note: Cincinnati Opera will perform the Midwest Premiere of DEAD MAN WALKING July 11, 13, 19, at Music Hall. For information call 513-241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.com)

Photograph of Sister Helen can be found on the Internet at http://www.prejean.org/ Click on "Backgrounder and Press Materials" link to find the photo (downloadable as a tiff or jpeg).