THE COURT: Mr. Holman, is there anything you wish to say before I sentence you?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes. A couple months ago I was at a political convention is St. Louis. A couple blocks from the hotel there was a courthouse that's been turned into a museum. It's been turned into a museum just for one case. That case was the 1857, Dred Scott decision. I was struck by one exhibit in that courthouse. And that was the fact that they were trading in human flesh right on the courthouse steps there. Up until January of 1864, they were auctioning off--putting black men, women, and children on the auction blocks right on the courthouse steps.
And I wondered why of all places in St. Louis did they do this? Why auction off these people on courthouse steps? It occurred to me that it was because they wanted to give it chivalry, the sense of legitimacy, an air of propriety. They wanted to show it some moral rectitude that because this is happening right on the courthouse steps right under the seat of justice that it must be okay. Then I wondered about why the people of St. Louis even had that block on their historical record, why they made a museum out of this. And part of the reason, I'm sure, was for future generations to learn from it; but part of it, too, was to say--'If we would have lived in those days we certainly wouldn't have supported this; it's obviously wrong, politically incorrect. '
But you know Jesus had something to say about this. He foresaw His crucifixion. He talked to the scribes and Pharisees. This is what He says to them, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees--that's the teachers of the law--you hypocrites, because you build tombs of the prophets and garnish adornments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. ' Therefore, you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of your father's guilt, you serpents. How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of them you will kill and crucify. Some of them you scourge in the synagogues and persecute form city to city. That upon you may come all the righteous bloodshed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. "
There is blood guilt for anyone that supports the moral atrocities of their time. Every generation has them. In our past, a hundred and fifty years ago, it was slavery. This time it's abortion. St. Louis has half a dozen abortion clinics in their city. We've got three. A hundred and eighty murdered every week in this town, and people in the audience and people that testify against me partake in that. What does it say about the legal system that protects them?
I'd rather be who I am right now sitting in this chair than any other man walking on the streets of Milwaukee on his way to Hell. Any man who's got innocent blood on his hands, the blood of children on their hands, because it is God in heaven who hears the cries of these innocent babies. I'm hot afraid of what you're going to do to me today because history is going to vindicate me. And Mr. Thornton (Dan's appointed counsel) is quite right; I am going back to the clinics as soon as I get out. Thank you.
