Next-to-last Fast and Vigil Update

(Almost) last but certainly not least, we now hear from NCADP intern and abolitionist Y. Eugina Huang. Eugina is a second-year student at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where she is a W&L Scholar. In the fall, she intends to declare a double-major in Politics and Philosophy, with dual concentrations in the Shepherd Poverty Program and the University Scholars Program. She enjoys music, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and people.

When my friends ask what I did for my birthday this year, I tell them, “I spent the day outside the Supreme Court at the 13th Annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty.” Their usual response is, “Oh, so you didn’t get to celebrate your birthday?” Quite the contrary!

Upon arriving at the Fast & Vigil, I was able to interview David Plecenik, a soon-to-be college freshman from Pennsylvania. Raised Catholic, he tells me that he has always believed in the ethic of life and has just recently become involved in the movement. When asked how he has been faring with only water since Wednesday night, his response is simple—“It’s well worth it.”

The rally started then, with the camera rolling, the sun reflecting off the white marble of the Supreme Court steps, and the American flag flying high above us. And there, between the Supreme Court and the Capitol, everyone heard the voices of the movement—powerful voices, voices of the exonerated, beautiful voices, voices of murder victims’ family members, voices in song, voices of the crowd.

But from all of the voices we heard, one stands out in my mind. I found Luke, a fifth grader from Canada, sitting on the ground holding a sign. I asked him to tell me one interesting thing that he learned during the Fast & Vigil. His response?

“Umm… how to stop the death penalty. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”