Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [389]
Once again, the committed were preaching to the converted. In Julie's mind it was futile. Everyone knew the mouse was fighting the elephant.
Nonetheless, they wanted to do something. The idea, as Julie saw it, was not to let those unthinking bloodthirsties swallow the day without some resistance. The world was watching Utah, and so they wanted the world to know some people in Utah did not agree with the prevailing forces.
In fact, they got some publicity. The Salt Lake Tribune gave them the front page of the second section and ran a marvelous picture of Dean Andersen of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in front of a beautiful banner a couple of students had made. It was navy blue with white letters and said, "NO EXECUTION."
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
"Official Blood Bath"
Protestors Say of Utah Death Penalty
Salt Lake, Jan. 6-The execution of Gary Mark Gilmore has turned into a "super bowl of violence," an Episcopal priest charged Saturday.
"It is complete with a Barnum and Bailey circus atmosphere and movie rights, reserved seats, T-shirts and love letters. We could all laugh about it, but in two days a team of volunteers will kill Gary Mark Gilmore without appeal," the Very Rev. Robert Andersen said.
DESERET NEWS
Salt Lake, Jan 5-About 15 or so bishops from the National Council of Churches are expected to arrive Sunday afternoon to participate in a Sunday-Monday vigil at Utah State Prison.
Henry Schwarzschild, coordinator of the National Coalition against the Death Penalty, called the execution "a brutalizing horror," a "dangerous precedent," and "judicial homicide."
5
That same afternoon, the Warden held a press conference and Tamera brought back a firsthand account of how they were going to move Gary from Maximum Security over to the cannery, where he would face the firing squad. Sam Smith had also given out regulations for the media. The outer gates to the prison were going to be closed to the press on Sunday night at 6 P.M. They would not open again till 6 A.M. of the 17th. That meant any of the press who wanted to be on the grounds at any time during the hours preceding the execution would have to spend the night in the prison parking lot.
Schiller now had a problem. If he went in at six in the evening he would not be able to receive any last-minute phone calls Gary might be able to make to the motel. On the other hand, Gary was going to be allowed to spend his last night with Moody, Stanger, and members of his family. There was even a small chance the Warden would let Larry join that group. In that event, it was better to be right on the prison grounds. A dilemma. While he was pondering this, Tamera said, "Larry, I'd like you to come to BYU this afternoon and give a speech about Gary Gilmore to the Social Sciences class. "Tamera," said Schiller, "what is this?"
"Look," she said, "my Bishop asked me."
Schiller thought, Maybe she hopes to improve her standing with the Church. Probably thinks of herself as inactive, lately. So he said, "All right, it's an excuse to get out of this madhouse."
He carted himself to the university on the afternoon of the 15th and went into this hall at BYU with something like four hundred fucking college students, all Mormons, and this teacher who was a Bishop got up and blah blah blah. He introduced Tamera Smith, said she was once a student here and now works for the Deseret News and Tammy got up and made a ten-minute speech, very pious, ideal Mormon girl striving for her Recommend. Then the Bishop introduced Schiller who stood there and made his indictment-of-journalism speech. Couldn't remember a word afterward, but it was a standard thing he kept in the back of his mind. Any day he couldn't talk for fifteen minutes would be a very bad day.
After a while, he asked for questions, and thirty hands flew up, and he pointed to a student who said, "Mr. Schiller, can you please tell me why you're wearing a Gary Gilmore belt?"
Larry looked down and, by God, he had a Gucci on. Interlocking G's on the buckle. So, he explained