Petition updatePardon an innocent manInto Day 4: Goals and Strategies
Jack HellerHuntington, IN, United States
Aug 6, 2016 — Friends: Thank you to everyone who has signed this petition. I think we will exceed 500 signatures today. But I have been thinking about how this campaign is going and what we can do to reach the end goal. I have seen another petition for another person today originating out of Missouri which had over 85,000 signatures, and they were still pursuing their goal. Our goal is not really to get 85,000 signatures, though it would be great if we did. However, let's keep our eyes on the real goal, getting Keith Cooper his pardon. Whether this petition drive or something else causes Governor Mike Pence to sign his pardon, I just want the pardon to happen. I am praying for it. The other day, an eleven year-old boy in North Carolina made national news when he asked Governor Pence why he was "softening up" on Donald Trump's words. What we need is someone like that boy. We need someone to ask Governor Pence directly why he has not yet signed a pardon for Keith Cooper. And we need the question pushed: the answer cannot be that he is still studying because he has been studying it since February 2014. Or not. Please continue to share and tag people to sign the petition on Facebook and your other social media platforms. However, I have a new idea: Many voices get more notice. If you are on Twitter, consider tweeting three items. First, the Indianapolis Star article which lays out a detailed history of Mr. Cooper's plight: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2015/12/05/keith-cooper-man-imprisoned-crime-he-didnt-commit/76677626/. Then the more recent profile from the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-mike-pence-pardon-request-met-20160721-story.html. And then finally this petition. But take this a step further. Let's target some people with the tweets. What Mr. Cooper's case needs is attention, so direct your tweets to particular recipients. For today, I would like to recommend six recipients: Gene Demby, reporter for NPR (geedee215), Noah Remnick, reporter for the New York Times (@NoahRemnick), Charles Blow, columnist for the New York Times (@CharlesMBlow), the Marshall Project, and online news site focusing on minorities and justice (@MarshallProj), Shaun King, writer for the New York Daily News and an activist (@ShaunKing), and finally, Governor Pence himself (@GovPenceIN). Let's use the hashtag #askPence. I think if a few hundred tweets go to each of these recipients, someone is going to follow up with Governor Pence about Mr. Cooper's pardon. The Chicago Tribune has speculated that Governor Pence might be waiting until after the election to grant the pardon. Why should Mr. Cooper have to wait at all? Why shouldn't he be able to vote during this upcoming election? These are questions the governor should have to answer. Thank you for signing the petition. Be as involved as you want to be, but I think this strategy may help.
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