"Warden, I'm ready."

Ramiro Gonzales wasn't always kind. He changed. The State of Texas killed him anyway.

Ramiro Gonzales was executed on June 26th. I was by his side in the execution chamber.

Broadview Magazine was kind enough to publish a reflection on our final days and hours together. I hope it is a fitting tribute to a man who, in every way, changed his life around for the better.

Ramiro’s witness to love was threatening. If he could change, come to terms with the evil and harm he both endured and perpetrated, and still find it within himself to love fully and deeply, then the myths we tell about who the monsters are, who is beyond our obligation to care for, and who deserves to live or die would be debunked. Texas would need to acknowledge that rehabilitation is possible—even for those deemed to be the worst of the worst. And if the condemned are rehabilitated, then executing them is not about safety; it is about vengeance. The death penalty has always reflected more on society than those lying on the gurney. No good has come from Ramiro’s death, only more heartache.

You can read the full article here.