There is no attempt or effort to address the crime of murder here. I left the medical and legal issues in the hands of those who were better equipped to deal with them. Dan Hauser and I discussed the issues and his decisions were his decisions. The logic was his, and I will not discuss it in any type of forum.

The execution (Legal Homicide on the Death Certificate) of a person by any government is a highly charged emotional situation. Events will be colored with 10,000 shades. Without knowing any of the specifics, people will read meanings into events, especially as to what was happening in the minds of the participants. During this event, I saw the movie "American Beauty" and was reminded of how we can be driven to conclusions by occasional snapshots.

In a chance meeting we had in the front seat of my pickup truck outside of Florida State Prison following one of my visits with Dan, Rev. Kobutsu suggested that I write about Death Row. This is the incentive behind putting my experience into this document while events are still fresh in my mind.

A lot of very learned discussions and papers will follow the execution of Dan and its relationship to all the various issues. There is no question that Dan made some lousy choices in his life that caused and will continue to cause a lot of pain and suffering. I am not a judge, a jury, or a person with special knowledge. I leave all that to karma, the universe and those with special insights. My focus is Dan and the situation in which I found myself.

Make no mistake; executing people by the state is not only wrong but also a violation of our precepts. However, the political reality offers two choices: actively fighting the death penalty or helping the person who is going to be executed. Both sides need to be attended to and require intense dedication and focus as well as skillful means. Know that they are not mutually exclusive but individual situations may or may not make them that way. Any person working with an inmate that is going to be executed has to be very mindful that working with the state or other forces may result in the removal of your inclusion in the process.

There are parts to this process that are very distasteful and have not been included out of respect to the parents and relatives of Dan Hauser. Anyone actually dealing with a Death Row situation, and in the case where a Death Warrant has been signed, should feel free to call me and I will go over some of those issues.

Once again, issues surrounding an execution rise to the top of the emotional scale. It almost seems as if there is no middle ground. By the very nature of stepping into an arena such as this, you are going to become a target of one side or another. Dan was sent letters attacking my credentials and integrity as well as identical letters sent to Internet Buddhist discussion groups immediately prior to the execution. I am sure that the extreme situation justified extreme measures in the eyes of assorted individuals and groups. In a sense, this was a good thing. Know anyone undertaking such a commitment can be prepared for it and should prepare the inmate at the same time.