Although hundreds worked long hours over days and weeks on end, "The
Three Strikes Reform Act of 2008" did not garner the signatures necessary
to qualify it for the November 2008 ballot.
The measure of effort put in by our members and supporters is hard to
quantify. There were those who said “yes”
every
time an opportunity to get signatures presented itself, no matter if a day’s
work had to be missed, or the travel time was measured in hours, or every
waking hour was spent out in the streets looking for that next signature. Others sought out leads and likely supporters
and mailed petitions at their own expense to widen our circle of support. There were folks who spoke at meetings from
one end of town to another and devoted Sundays to gathering signatures in front
of sympathetic churches. People rallied
and what was missing in sheer numbers was present in zeal and fire and
determination. There is no way to know
how many people worked to affect a change in this law, but its clear that they
are far more than we know.
The truly bad news is that with all the efforts put forth, we did not
succeed in turning in the necessary signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot. The good news is in the process of reaching out for support and signatures a lot more
people were educated and convinced that this law is criminal.
We have been asked: “What’s Next?” The
first step will be taken in Los Angeles on Saturday,
June 7thbetween the hours of
10:00 am and 2:30 pm when Striker families and concerned community members will meet to evaluate
our efforts and plan for our future. If you
are interested in planning for the future or evaluating past efforts, please
call us at 213.746.4844 for the meeting location.
