Texas After Violence Project Interview with Ms. Christy Armell

COPYRIGHT 2008 Christy Armell and the Texas After Violence Project

Date: October 10, 2008

Place: Austin, Texas

Equipment: Sony 1080i mini-HD DV camcorder and Sennheiser external microphone

Recorded on: Sony mini-DV cassettes

Interviewer: Kimberly Bacon

Videographer: Papa Diallo

Transcription: Lora Hollingsworth Padilla

Reviewed & edited: Sabina Hinz-Foley (February 26, 2009)

NOTE: The Texas After Violence Project has redacted or reserved portions of this interview for the foreseeable future. -- Virginia Raymond

BACON: Okay, we’re here with Christy Armell and her daughter on October 10, 2008. Kimberly Bacon, myself is interviewing, and Papa Diallo is doing the videography. Okay, so if you want to go ahead and begin and you can kinda start talking about your education, how it lead you to— into the career you are working on right now.

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I actually started in the education field. I was gonna go to school to be a teacher and in the process of that, I found some information about Kenneth Foster who was on Death Row here in Texas, recognized his website and wrote him a letter in prison. And decided that I was going to change my major to criminal justice and will be graduating in May from the University of Phoenix with a criminal justice major. And then I’ll decide whether I am gonna go on to law school or what I’m gonna do from there, but one step at a time.

BACON: So can you tell me little bit about the work you are doing right now?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I just started a chapter of C.E.D.P., which is Campaign to End the Death Penalty, in New Mexico. It‘s the only chapter so we’re getting things going with that chapter. But I do a lot of writing to inmates— also working with their families. I am also the host of the Eleventh Hour radio show that is weekly and it talks about— only strictly death penalty issues, not just strictly in Texas but in the entire country.

BACON: Okay, and I’ve— I read your article how the death penalty has affected me. Could you talk a little about that? Kinda what inspired you to write it?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Well, I guess my inspiration— I always give Kenneth Foster credit for helping me find my voice. I think I’ve always known that I was against the death penalty. I just didn’t know how to express it. And once I began writing to him in prison, the letters he wrote back to me were so inspiring and so positive and he led me in the direction that I needed to go to be able to stand up and say this isn’t— this isn’t right. I don’t want the country that I live in, that I am a citizen in, to kill in my name or to kill in the name of what they call justice. And after the victory with Governor Perry commuting his sentence last August 30, 2007, I became more inspired to work with families, to work with other guys that are on the row. With Texas being the killing capital of the world as far as executions are concerned, my focus has remained here even though I live in New Mexico. I began writing to Karl Chamberlain, who was also on Texas Death Row. His family lives in New Mexico and so I became very close to them— talking to them on the phone at first, visiting with them in person. And Karl and I began exchanging letters. Karl was— was guilty. He admitted his crime. He knew it was wrong. And over the years he was on Death Row, he changed. He was not the same person that he was when he got locked up. Karl was executed in June— June 11 of 2008. And it was very, very difficult for me to go from the victory with Kenny to the loss of Karl and all those different emotions that I felt inside. So I guess after— after, like I said, after that victory and then after that loss, I wanted to express the different emotions from both of them, but how they both— they both meant something. And I think even in my article, I wrote that I have to continue to fight because Kenny lived, but I also have to continue to fight because Karl died. So that was— that was pretty much what inspired me, both of them did.

BACON: What sort of things do you do kind of on the more day-to-day basis as far as advocating for— for Death Row rights and that sort of thing?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I run a lot of Websites! (Laughs) So I spend a lot of time on the computer. I started a Web site strictly for Texas law of parties cases. So I spend a lot of time researching the law of parties cases of guys that are on Death Row that were sentenced under the law of parties. Writing to them to get summaries of their cases that they want put on the Web site. [Material reservedl - vr] I have several pen pals that I get mail from that I try to respond to— talking to families. It’s pretty much everything that I— I mean— I always joke but it’s really serious that I eat, sleep, and think prisons and Death Row. I mean— it’s just in my blood.

BACON: Okay. I guess— how has that affected your life, in what sense?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I mean it’s had— both good and bad. I mean it’s giving me— like I said, I am able to be the voice for a lot of people who don’t have a voice— or people choose not to listen to. You know a lot of times when people are in prison and especially on Death Row, they’re just— no one listens to them. No one cares. No one wants to even believe that there could possibly be any innocents that are sitting behind the walls. And so I am able to come out and stand up for them, stand up for their rights, stand up for their life and say that this is a person who has a brother, a sister, a mother, a father, children. These are— this person might not be important to you, but they’re important to somebody. And it’s not okay to strap them to a gurney and kill them. So it’s given me a sense of— that I’m needed. But it is also very difficult because this is a very, very dark circle that I dance in. It’s very depressing. It’s heart wrenching to hear the stories of the future victims, which is what the families of the condemned are. They’re future victims of the death penalty. And it can be very— very tiring, very tiring to do this everyday. And there are times, especially after executions, when I’ve just got to turn off the computer. I turn off the phone. And I’ve got to just take some me time. Even if it is just laying in my bed and watching movies or spending time with my daughter. Just to rejuvenate myself so that I can keep going.

BACON: You said future victims as the members of the family. What do you mean by that?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: [Sighs] When a person is executed, they’re taken from this earth, and you’re left with a whole other group of people: their children, their parents, who now have lost someone unnecessarily. So they— they are also victims of the death penalty. Anyone concerned, whether it is the actual victims of the crime, their families, or the families of the condemned, every one is affected by the death penalty. Supporters, pen pals. I have had pen pals who have never even met their— the person who they’re writing to in person, and when they’re executed, their world changes. They fall apart. They call me crying, crying, crying, why, why, why? So any — everybody is affected by what the death penalty does to us.

BACON: Could you tell me a little bit about Kenneth Foster?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: You see the smile on my face. He’s my hero. He — he is the first person I ever wrote a letter to in prison and I didn’t really know what to expect. I just happened upon his website, read some of his poetry, saw that he had an amazing amount of people behind him. When I began reading the — the — the information about his case and realized that he never shot a gun, he was not the actual killer in this case, but yet was sitting on Death Row waiting to die, I thought— my gosh, you know so many times they say the death penalty is meant for the worst of the worst. And that didn’t seem to be the case anymore. This was someone who didn’t even touch the murder weapon — was basically — had the wrong group of friends, really. And I decided to write to him. My first letter was probably pretty corny because I didn’t really know what to say. Here he is, he’s been in prison for ten years. Here I am trying to come along and offer help but not really knowing what I could do. He responded immediately, said these are the things that you can do to help me, these are the people that you can call. And I did that and it just continued and continued and continued. And I fought, and I called people, and emailed people and I said that we cannot let them kill this man. This man does not deserve to die. And I contacted media in Albuquerque. And on the day of his scheduled execution, which was August 30 of 2007, Mercedes my daughter, had went to school, and even she — she realized how important that was to me and she said, “Mom, I’m going to fast for Kenny today. I’m not going to eat because they should not execute him.” So she went to school, and I sat there and I’m on the phone and I’m staring at my computer screen, going, “Please, someone give me some information. We just can’t let him — there’s no way that Governor Perry will execute him.” Then I got a phone call from one of Kenneth’s supporters who was actually at the prison and said that the board had recommended clemency. And shortly after that, Governor Perry granted clemency. And I just remember screaming. I was just so excited that this was a victory for every body and for Kenneth and his family. And my relationship with Kenneth has continued to grow. We are in constant contact. I actually met with his family while I’ve been here is Texas. He’s amazing. He’s positive. He does not ever look — look at his situation as that there’s no chance for victory. He’s just — he’s extremely positive and he — he has helped me in so many ways, many more ways that I think he even knows. I tell him that all the time that he’s — he’s my inspiration.

BACON: In what ways has he helped you?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Well, like I said— I mean he helped me find my voice. He gave me the encouragement that says, “This is what you need to do. If you— if you don’t believe in the death penalty, then this is what you need to say. This is how you can help other people to understand the consequences of execution.” He has been the kind of friend that— now that I have become more involved, more personally involved with people who have been executed, he has helped me to understand what the families go through. He’s been there for me when I’ve had some personal things going on. He’s that kind of person that I can write a letter to and say, “Look, this is what’s going on in my life. What can I do about it?” He’ll always respond. It’s never a one-sided letter. It’s never — this is — “I’m in prison. You should help me.” It’s always been a two-way street between him and I.

BACON: Can you talk to me a little bit about the Law of Parties, more of what it is? Can you talk about the ramifications of it in kind of a greater sense?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: The law of parties is used only in Texas, and which basically says that if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and someone gets killed, you can be charged with capital murder. The law of parties was never intentionally meant to be used for capital cases, but it has become used. Many other states have felony law murders but intent has to be proven that you conspired with another person to commit a murder. Law of parties does not require intent to be proven.

As in Kenneth’s case, Kenneth was driving a car with his friend. His friend gets out, gets in to an argument with someone, kills that guy. Kenny not knowing anything that was going on, but because he was there and he was driving the car, he was also charged with capital murder and set on Death Row for many, many years. There’s several— several men on there. The “Texas Seven,” which most people know who are, those are all law of parties cases.

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It’s an unjust law because people who are not the actual killers are sitting on Death Row.

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It’s something that needs to be looked at. It’s something that I believe the State of Texas knows about— knows its unconstitutional. I think that Governor Perry knows in the back of his mind that when he commuted Kenny’s sentence, although he did not include the law of parties when he was giving his statement about why the sentence was being commuted, I have a feeling that that was something that he was thinking about.

BACON: Do you know— what did he say for why he commuted him?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: He commuted Kenny’s sentence because him and his co-defendant, Mauricio Brown, were tried together. He felt that that was not something that should be done in capital cases. So that’s why the sentence was commuted. But like I said I think in everyone’s— other abolitionist mind, it had a lot to do with the law of parties. But for anyone, especially Governor Perry, to come out and say that the law of parties has got to go, there’s going to be a lot of people on Death Row that are going to have sentences commuted. And I don’t think Texas is ready for that.

BACON: Why— why not?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Because they like to kill people here. They really like to put people on Death Row and execute them. This is a merciless state— merciless— when it comes to the death penalty and everybody knows it. And it’s like— don’t understand why Governor Perry doesn’t— I mean surely he sees it, but the eyes of the world have been on Texas regarding the death penalty. There’s over four hundred men and women sitting on Death Row in this state alone, and many of them with very significant innocence claims, many of them with law of parties cases. Something’s got to change. It’s very hard to be an abolitionist and an activist in this state because it is so depressing. And there are— while we are— while the victories are few— I mean they’re great when they come, but there are so few victories as far as the death penalty in this state. Activists and abolitionists move on to other states. It’s just too difficult to work here. It’s too depressing and you get emotionally attached to people to have them taken from you. It’s very, very difficult.

BACON: Move on a little bit. Can you tell me about— a little about Karl Chamberlain?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Karl Chamberlain— I did not know him for very long. Like I said, I was in contact with his family because they live in New Mexico— his mother. And I knew that he was going to be given a date within a few months. This was several months back. I was actually in Texas back in May with Capital X doing the Walk for Life, which was a walk across the country against the death penalty. While I was here in Texas I realized that Karl was given a date. Karl was convicted of murdering and — raping and murdering a neighbor back in the early nineties. As I said before, he — he admitted — he admitted — to his crime. He was remorseful. He knew that he was wrong, he was on drugs, alcohol, suffered from P.T.S.D. from being in the military for a few years. He had several, several problems— and changed while he was in prison. He kind of developed spiritually. He began writing. He began drawing — would draw beautiful, beautiful letters— write beautiful letters. Again was always really positive. He knew that his time was coming. He would write to me and tell me, “No matter what happens, you’ve got to continue the fight.” I actually received a letter the day after his execution from Karl. It was very difficult to open it. I almost didn’t. But it was — it was basically a goodbye letter. I think he felt that he knew— he knew. He had had a few execution dates before that were stayed, but I think he knew that this time was it. He was the first execution in Texas since the moratorium was lifted. He was ready — he was ready to die. His smile would melt your heart. He was a big teddy bear. That was what he was called on — on the row, was teddy bear. You know, I am sad that he’s gone.

BACON: I had something in my mind and I just lost it. [Laughter] I guess, does the— how do you go about selecting people who are on Death Row whom you choose to communicate with?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Actually, it’s been— like I said I first met Kenny — one of Kenny’s requests before he got commuted, when he was kind of feeling like, “Okay, if I do get executed, these are the things that I want people to do because I want the fight to continue also.”

One of the things that Kenny requested was that someone take over [a case]

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[A]s I got more involved with the law of parties and creating a website specifically for the law of parties, a lot of the other guys heard about the website and have written to me requesting either information about the website or sending me case summaries that they want placed on the website. So sometimes I’ll write back and forth to them. Sometimes I’ll only get one letter, I’ll send a letter back saying that I got their information, it’s on the Website, things like that. So in a way, sometimes they pick me. It’s kind of been that way. I haven’t really sought out any body else to — to write to. They just — they find me.

BACON: Does the nature of the — of the crimes have any bearing in your relationship with them and how that develops?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: No. I mean — I can’t— if I am going to fight the death penalty, I have to fight it for all of them. I can’t pick and choose who I want to live and who I want to be killed. Some of them admit the crime to me, some of them say they are innocent, and some of them don’t want to talk about it. And that’s fine — with me. I’m there as a support against the death penalty and to let them know that not everyone wants to see them on that gurney.

BACON: What kind of things do you talk about in your letters?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: It could be anything, from things about their case, ways that I can help. We talk about their families. They ask questions about me, my family, what I like to do for fun—not that I ever have time for fun. [Laughs] But you know, what my favorite color is. I’ve gotten beautiful, beautiful artwork, cards, poems that they’ve written to me. My house is filled with prisoner art, filled. So I mean it’s just a variety of things.

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So we’ve got that kind of relationship where we — we’ll joke about the Cowboys and the Steelers and things like that. And some of them — some of them are just strictly— strictly case stuff: “This is what I need you to do. This is what I’m looking for. Can you help me?” And I write back yes or no and that’s it. So it really just depends on the person.

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BACON: I guess — in light of the law of parties and how many people who are affected by it, what would you as an activist, what would you like to see other people do in order to get the ball rolling on the sorts of issues?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Well I think the most important thing is just to educate yourselves on what the law of parties actually is. I’ve got the whole break down on my Web site about the jury charge and everything that’s involved in the law of parties. But you’ve also got to start writing to your — your congressman, your senators. Let them know about the law of parties.

There’s a couple of good senators here in Texas that are really interested in it. Shelia Lee Jackson, I believe, is one of them. I’m not quite sure which district she represents. But she’s very interested in the law of parties. [Coughs]

And I think one of the best ways to learn about these kinds of things is to write a letter to one of the guys because they will tell you— they will tell you everything that’s going on. You can realize first hand. [Clears throat] Excuse me. [Clears throat] You can realize first hand the horror of it all. I mean it’s just — you’ve got people sitting there everyday going by, a closer day to the time they’re put on the gurney and the needle is stuck in their arm. I don’t think that I would — I would know so much about it if I hadn’t written that first letter to Kenny. That’s what got everything rolling for me, and it becomes much more personal once you know someone that’s in that position.

BACON: You mentioned you’re going to protest an execution. What is that like for you, going to do that?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: This will be the first one that I’ve gone to.

BACON: Oh, the first one.

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: So I’m not quite sure how it’s gonna to be. [Coughs]

I’ve never been to Huntsville, which is where all the executions take place here in Texas. I’m actually going to Polunsky, which is where Death Row is. I’m going there Tuesday. .

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It will also be my first visit to Polunsky, so I’ve got a couple of things coming up that are my firsts. But, in a way I have been there because when there have been execution that have taken place there, I know several people that are out there all the time protesting so I’m constantly on the phone with them, “What’s the news, what’s the news? Has the execution taken place? Is there a stay?” Things like that, so I have always been there in spirit on execution days. This will be the first time — I’ve heard from other people that it’s very intense, so to be prepared. So we’ll see, but it’s something that I feel like I need to do.

BACON: Okay. What do you anticipate. . . ?

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MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: . . . I’m a little nervous. I’m like — I’m going to actually be on Death Row. That’s scary to me. I’ve been in prisons before, but I’ve never been to Death Row. So that’s — it’s going to be scary and it’s gonna — it’s a little sad thinking of all those men that are sitting there. So, I’ve gotten — I’ve gotten all my information that I need as what I can take in and what I can’t and what to wear. I’m just going to have to be brave and do it and I know that it will be okay.

BACON: What have your other experiences been going and visiting in prisons?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: They’ve all been fairly good. It can be very intimidating, you know? You walk in and you’ve got barbed wire everywhere. You’ve got to wait for one gate to close before you can go through another one. The guards usually are not very friendly at all, so it’s— it can be very intimidating but you’ve just got to — I try to stay focused, know that I’m here for a reason, I’m here to visit someone, or anything else that’s going on. You just hope for the best, really. I try to be very nice to the guards and do what they ask and just keep my mind focused.

BACON: Have you had any unusual or any really positive or negative experiences doing that?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I wouldn’t say anything either way. It’s just — a prison visit is an experience on it’s own. So you just — I can’t say I’ve had anything real positive or anything real negative. It’s just — it’s an unpleasant experience all together, having to go through all that to see someone that you care about.

BACON: Okay. You talked a little bit about the walk, the Walk for Life. Can you tell me a little about that and some other events and activist things that you’re into?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Capital X is a hip-hop artist from New York. He is also an activist and he had the idea one day that he’s going to do a walk for life, where he’s going to walk across the country in protest of the death penalty and he would end in Texas. As I’ve said before, the killing capital of the world when it comes to executions.

I met up with Capital X online. He had a MySpace page, was announcing the walk and I thought, “Wow, this is a great idea.” I helped him kind of spread the word as far as — and many other activists did the same thing as to what state he was going to be going in at what time, what kind of help he needed, media, things like that.

Well, he got stuck in Arkansas, and I had been calling him or texting him every day just to check up on him ‘cause he’s walking all over the place — making sure that he’s okay. And he actually got stuck with all of his belongings in Arkansas. The woman that was helping had to leave for some reason and paid for a hotel room for him for two nights and split.

So he’s like “I need someone to come out here and drive the car,” because he was recording everything, so he’s got cameras and his laptop and clothes and things like that. So I said, “Okay I’ll come out.”

So I met him in Arkansas. I did most of the driving while he’s walking. I would drive up two or three miles, he would walk, meet me, make sure everything’s okay, then I’d drive up more. I’d film for him.

So we did that until we got into Texas then we had another abolitionist who let us stay in her home in Dallas. So we did a lot of walking, both him and I, in Dallas-Fort Worth area, carrying our signs, our t-shirts, things like that. And I was here for about two weeks and then I went back home.

When he finished here, he actually — he actually ended in Austin, at the capital. When he finished here, he came to New Mexico and we did a rally there, we did a concert, and I believe he is now in Europe, doing a tour in Europe.

But he was kind of an inspiration to me too because I had never been outside of New Mexico to do any kind of protesting. I knew a lot of people in Texas, but most of my work had been either on the phone or over the computer. I had not actually been here to do — to meet anybody that I had been talking to, so the opportunity to get to come here and meet people, and actually protest in the state was something that was really inspiring to me and an eye-opener, as well. [Coughs] We would stand in Dallas in very, very, very busy intersections with our signs, and we got a lot of negative flack. I think I got one death threat that — to fry them all and I should die with them.

But we also had a few people come up to us and said, “You know what? We agree with you. We do not like the death penalty and thank you for standing up and doing this.” And it’s always those ones — even if it’s just one out of fifty. Even if it’s just one that says, “We agree with you, thank you.” Those are the ones that keep me going. Those are the ones that— okay if I can get this one, someone else is going to— going to stop and say the same thing.

Or even the ones who threaten me — who say I should die. You know what? I know they’re going to go home that night and they’re at least going to think about the death penalty, or they’re going to think about that crazy woman who’s standing in the middle of the street with her “Stop executions now,” and they’re going to think about it, and that’s the important thing is to start a dialogue, even with people who agree with the death penalty. I’m not here to change anyone’s mind, but it’s important that people are informed and it’s important that people talk about it.

So, I got to do all of those kinds of things when I was doing the Walk for Life. [Coughs]

And back home in Albuquerque, we’ve — like I said, we just started a CEDP chapter, so my intention there is to hold some information meetings, pass out some flyers, some pamphlets, get people to really understand what the death penalty is all about. New Mexico is a little different because we’ve only got two people on Death Row in New Mexico and we haven’t had an execution since 2001. So it’s huge difference than Texas.

So we’re here — more people talk about it because it happens so frequently — New Mexico people kind of brush it under the rug. They think it’s not a problem, but it is. And it — my— my goal in New Mexico is let’s just abolish it. We’ve only got two people on Death Row. We haven’t had an execution in several years. Why even have it on the law books anymore? So those are the kinds of things that I’ve been doing.

BACON: I guess given the contrast between the number of people on Death Row in New Mexico versus Texas, what do you think it is about Texas that leads to that problem?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I honestly don’t know. I really don’t. I mean — Texas is a huge state. Texas has majority in the past been a conservative state, but Texas also—I really don’t know. I don’t know, but it’s always been like this, it’s always been like this, and it seems like we go two steps forward and one step back. I mean — the past couple of months there have been a lot of stays of execution in Texas, which I thought, “Wow what is going on?” Because this isn’t —maybe one stay once in awhile, but I think for August there was a couple of stays that no one thought would take place. So I think things are kind of — hoping — I’m hoping they’re changing a little bit for Texas. I’m cautiously optimistic with that though because I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. But the law of parties also has a lot to do with this because you’ve got over a hundred men sitting on Death Row under that law.

New Mexico doesn’t have such law. I also believe, and I’m not real sure about this, but I believe Texas has many more — New Mexico has less, I can’t think of the right word. There’s like seven factors that the D.A. can pursue a death penalty sentence for people, for crimes. Like the crime of a police officer or the a crime of — the murder of a police officer, the murder of a child, if there’s a murder committed in the commission of another felony, there are certain things that have to happen for the D.A. to say that this is a death penalty eligibility case. I think Texas’s list is way long compared to New Mexico and what people can — what the D.A. can find in a death penalty case in New Mexico.

The other thing, too, that I still don’t understand and makes no sense to me is Texas has life without parole. So Texas has that option of not even having to execute anybody at all. Give ‘em life without parole. It’s cheaper, actually. It doesn’t cost nearly as much to keep someone in prison for the rest of their life as it does to execute them. So I’m not quite sure why Texas isn’t using that more often, other than they’ve just already got the taste of blood and they like it.

BACON: Papa, do you have any questions that you’d like to, wanna throw in, or?

PAPA DIALLO: Oh, how did you get involved from the beginning? What led you to be interested in fighting the death penalty?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: It was really Kenneth Foster. That’s what started it all. Like I said, I had never — I always knew I opposed it. I always knew that, from early, early, when I was a teenager, I knew that it was wrong but I just never did anything about it. So many people are like that. “Oh yeah, we’re against it, but we’re not going to—we’re not going to say anything. We don’t want to upset anybody or —.“ Things like that. But Kenneth pushed me right along from that first letter that he wrote back to me, I haven’t stopped and that’s been about two years ago. And it’s been a whirlwind, it’s been a very, very busy two years. [Laughs]

BACON: Well you mentioned that people like to brush it under and rug and not talk about it. What kind of responses do you get from your family or friends, or people that you—

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: Well, I get anything from “What would you think, then, if someone murdered your daughter or if someone raped and murdered your mother? Would you still be against the death penalty?” Or things like, “An eye for an eye,” and “If they’re gonna kill someone, than they deserve to be killed,” and “How can you stand up for these —.“ I’ve been called a “thug hugger,” I’ve been called a “liberal bitch,” I’ve been called many other — other names. [Laughs] And it’s okay.

I’m a debater. I can debate them ‘til they’re blue in the face about the facts of the death penalty because that’s one thing that I think is important as an activist for any cause. You’ve got to know your facts. I don’t know all of them. I’m not a real statistical person. I don’t know all of the statistics, but I do know the major things as to why the death penalty is wrong, and I can debate that.

And like I said, I don’t try to change anyone’s mind. I respect everyone’s opinion, but I want you to respect mine too. If you’re pro-death penalty, fine. If you want to debate it with me, let’s debate it. If anything I say to you even gets you to think about it later, that’s the whole point — is having a dialogue. I mean — we’re talking about people’s lives. This is not something that should not be talked about. We need to talk about this. People are dying. People are being killed.

BACON: Do you have future — future plans with your C.E.D.P. and other ambitions you have for yourself down the line?

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: You know, I’m extremely busy right now. I try to take it one day at a time. I’m, like I said, I’m considering — I’ll be graduating in May with a criminal justice degree. I considered going into probation and parole for a while. But I’ve got issues with how that system is run too, so I’m not quite sure how long I would last as a parole officer. I may end up going to law school and then I can fight this kind of thing in the courtroom. You — I don’t know. This is something that I will continue to do. I know that. It’s grown for me. I mean it started out with a few pen pals to being able to actually protest and meet other activists and abolitionists, and meet families of the condemned and just — it’s grown. So it’s that’s, like I said, it’s in my blood. It’s not going away. So, but I take it one day at a time and we’ll see what happens.

BACON: I guess that’s kind of generally — I mean my stuff but I want to kind of open it up and let you talk about — I mean if there’s anything that you want to say and add and elaborate on that I haven’t really touched on, I’ll throw the ball to you.

MS. CHRISTY ARMELL: I don’t really know. I just think it’s really important to—to just to talk about it. I mean that’s the biggest thing is talk about it. Even if you don’t agree, talk about it, and to get the kids involved because these kids are the ones who are going to grow up and might possibly one day be on Death Row if we don’t teach them the things that they need to be taught.

[Material reserved -- vr]

ARMELL: I tend to be more on the radical side. I like protesting. I like having my voice heard and I think that those are the things that need to be done to get rid of this. We’ve got — I don’t want this country killing in my name. I don’t like it. It’s not right, and I don’t want that blood on my hands. So—

BACON: All right. Thanks.

[END]

COPYRIGHT 2008 Christy Armell and the Texas After Violence Project