 |
 |
 |
 |
Karl's Friends Worldwide
Friendship, true friendship, provides the mirror of unconditional love within the framework of personal integrity, by which one may see ourselves more clearly, the other, and a glimpse of the sublime essence of Soul. Although my State and Society had given up on me, condemned me as less than human, my friends' love and support affirmed the humanity within me, and this gift of unconditional love gave me value, the worth I first knew in their eyes.
By the grace of God, my friends have helped teach me, heal me, rehabilitate me, and redeem me. The humanity I lost as an abused, neglected child has been restored and reaffirmed because of my friends.
This is not only my sweetest dream, but a message I cannot hold back. A song of love which will not remain silent, and gratitude which has saved me. I thank you with all my heart, and I thank God for you . . . my friends.
Karl Chamberlain
December 2007
Karl thrives on being in touch with the world outside his small cell on Texas Death Row. For many years he has nurtured not only relationships with pen friends but also with organisations that are sympathetic to the plight of those that rest alongside him in the various penitentiaries of states across America that still enforce the death penalty.
Many of the individual friendships he has struck up have resulted in close relationships, with some of these proving so special that pen friends have undertaken journeys across continents in order to spend time with him under the strict visiting procedures imposed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Especially strong is the group of people he has befriended in Europe who all share in the strong belief that the death penalty is a violation of the right to life and who have found in Karl a remarkable and intelligent man that wants to embrace that commonality.
Karl does not have access to a phone, email, the internet or television so these contacts are pivotal to his well-being. He is currently allowed use of a radio but otherwise all of his contacts centre on letter writing or his precious and occasional personal visits.
Maggie, one of Karl's British friends, who has enjoyed the opportunity of meeting with Karl in prison, was instrumental in setting up a European-based web site for him and has been the inspiration behind ensuring that a formal site continues to provide support for him.
A positive outcome has been the setting up of an e-group on the internet by Lydia, one of Karl's longstanding friends from Holland, which has brought together people scattered across Europe and beyond and enabled them to not only share their thoughts and experiences but also acts as an alert service to the latest news affecting their friend in Texas.
Karl also tunes in to American radio stations from his cell, some of which provide a service to friends of prisoners enabling them to leave voice messages and to broadcast music requests.
So please explore the contact pages here to see how and where you can get involved. You'll also find links to national and international groups who are concerned with the treatment of prisoners on Death Row, not just in Texas but across the world.
