Jackson exhorts church crowd to stand up to executions

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson told people at a crowded church Thursday night to demonstrate and "go to jail if necessary" to pressure officials into stopping executions in Oklahoma, including eight scheduled in the next four weeks.

"Oklahoma must choose to stop the death machine," Jackson said. "You must fight back."

Jackson spoke to a group of about 500 people at the Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City after leading a two-mile march and rally to the church from a prison holding Wanda Jean Allen, scheduled on Jan. 11 to become the first woman executed in state history.

Jackson met with Allen, a two-time killer, earlier in the day.

Jackson said that during the rise in executions over the past several years the poor have become "political trophies" while those who can afford a good defense escape execution.

He promised to help those in the crowd if they would exercise their convictions and stand up to the death penalty system.

As Jackson left the pulpit, the Rev. J.A. Reed Jr. led the crowd in chanting "Jesse come back."

Jackson said he supported a proposed law by Rep. Opio Toure, D-Oklahoma City, calling for a one-year moratorium on executions, but he said that is too late for eight condemned convicts who are set to be put to death between Jan. 9 and Feb. 1.

He said he is renewing an appeal to Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating to issue an executive order halting the executions.

Although Keating is a strong death penalty advocate, Jackson said the governor also is a religious man and should weigh religious principles of justice and mercy against political considerations.

"Let your religion affect your politics," the longtime death penalty foe told Keating, a Roman Catholic. Keating has defended his death penalty stand in the face of criticism from church officials.

"The governor has addressed the issue of the moratorium many times, including in a letter to Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, archdiocese of Oklahoma City," Keating spokesman Phil Bacharach said.

"We've let that letter stand on its own. For a variety of reasons the governor has espoused many times, he opposes a moratorium," Bacharach said.

Supporters sought unsuccessfully last month to gain clemency for Allen, contending her jury did not know of her mental deficiencies.

They also said she was inadequately represented by an attorney who tried to withdraw from the case.

On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin granted a 30-day stay of execution of Robert William Clayton so DNA evidence could be examined.

Jackson said he had talked to Keating briefly by telephone and the governor "deserves some credit" for Clayton's stay.

If Oklahoma goes through with its scheduled execution spree, Jackson said, Oklahoma will be "dangerously close running No. 1 in football and in executions."

To execute "the innocent or the impaired is murder," Jackson said.

The University of Oklahoma captured its seventh national college football championship Wednesday night with a victory over Florida State. Officials of the American Civil Liberties Union say Oklahoma ranks first in the country in executions per capita.