THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 29, 1995 TAG: 9508290001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
As a delegate to the 52nd biennial Fraternal Order of Police national convention recently held in Virginia Beach, it was with great disgust that I read the account of the ``plight,'' as it was described by the author of The Washington Post article, of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted in 1982 of murdering a Philadelphia police officer who was arresting Jamal's brother for driving the wrong way down a city street.
The conference delegates voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution boycotting the Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., which negotiated a book deal with this murderer to publish poignant essays on his thoughts while awaiting execution on Pennsylvania's death row.
The article outlined numerous aspects of the case but omitted the fact that Officer Danny Faulkner was shot in the back, and as he lay dying in the street this coward fired four more rounds into the officer's body, the last bullet entering his brain and ending his life.
That anyone could consider glamorizing such a detestable act and pay $30,000 to this animal for his experiences flies in the face of reason and decency, freedom of speech and press notwithstanding.
It is more absurd that Jamal would have the audacity to proclaim, in the last paragraph of his commentary, that nobody should be sentenced to death, considering that he assumed the role of executioner on Dec. 9, 1981.
I appeal to The Virginian Pilot not to publicize anymore ``complaints'' that Jamal has about his ordeal on death row or the system that placed him there. I am not interested in his thoughts and look forward to reading only the details of his execution.
R. L. BAGWELL
Corresponding secretary
Commodore Lodge No. 3
Fraternal Order of Police
Norfolk, Aug. 9, 1995 by CNB