For those readers with an interest in the death penalty, a topic dealt with fairly frequently here at the “Running Chicken” blog, I highly recommend the new blog of the Journey of Hope, an organization on whose Board of Directors I’ve served for about eight years now.

Founded in 1993, the Journey of Hope is a non-profit organization led by murder victims’ family members who oppose the death penalty and all forms of violence, and who promote restorative justice through public education speaking tours.

This year, Journey of Hope speakers have converged on Texas for approximately two weeks. There is no more challenging ground for discussing the death penalty, to be sure, but the experiences of Journey speakers bring a very different perspective to that debate.

The speaking engagements got underway in Houston yesterday and will continue in the Houston area over the weekend before speakers head to Dallas, then San Antonio, and finally Austin. If you happen to live in Texas, consult the full list of events to find one near you.

For a great deal more information on the Journey of Hope, beyond the current Texas tour, visit the organization’s main website.