September 21, 2011 — “‘Vengeance is mine’, said the Lord” and “Thou shall not kill” are just two biblical references that Georgia conservatives have thrown out the door tonight by moving forward with the planned execution of Troy Anthony Davis.

It is truly tragic that under our system of law, a person can be put to death with no credible evidence. What makes it even more tragic is that since his conviction, seven of the nine witnesses in the case against Davis have recanted, and one of the others is suspected of being the actual killer. One of the things that has made the American system of justice the envy of the world is all people are innocent until proven guilty, and that guilt should be decided only in the absence of reasonable doubt. Unfortunately, the case against Troy Davis was made up of nothing but reasonable doubt, and as a result, people on both sides of this issue, including former FBI Director William Sessions, pleaded with Georgia officials to commute this sentence saying “pervasive, persistent doubts” have continued to plague his conviction.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to Mr. Davis and his family.” said Ralph Johnson of Louisiana, National Chairman of YDA’s Minority Caucus. “Tonight, we have witnessed another miscarriage of justice that continues to tear at the fabric of our country and what we as Americans stand for: freedom, justice, and equality. The death penalty creates more victims, disproportionately affects the poor, mentally ill and minorities, and has not been shown to be a determent to crime. The State of Georgia may have dimmed the American beacon of human rights, but we will work hard to keep the flame forever burning in our hearts. Our generation must not let Mr. Davis’ death be in vain. We are now his voice, and we must stand up and demand changes to a flawed system. Tonight, WE ARE ALL TROY DAVIS, and may Mr. Davis’ spirit live on through our continued fight for equity in the justice system.”

The Young Democrats of America mourn tonight’s tragic ending and we urge all Americans to heed the last words of Troy Davis and “look deeper into this case” and join us in a wider conversation about crime, punishment and the death penalty in America.