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From his prison cell on death row, Harold McQueen, Jr. stares calmly into the camera and begs children 1 last time to stay away from alcohol and drugs. "You don't have no future with drugs. I mean you don't have anything. You don't care about your mother, your brother, whoever. You know you just gotta get that high. And if you don't get it, you'll get it the best way you can. If you don't have money, you'll steal, rob."
3 days after the videotape was made, the convicted murderer was put to death in the Kentucky electric chair for killing a store clerk while high on drugs and alcohol.
The videotape, made under the supervision of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, is being dis-tributed to churches, youth organizations and other groups in hopes that McQueen's anti-drug message will resonate with teenagers.
The 19-minute video, titled It Could Happen To You, was made public a few weeks ago, but the response already has been overwhelming. A circuit judge plans to show the tape to alcohol abus-ers who appear in his courtroom. Parents have asked for copies to show to their children.
On the tape, McQueen mentions that he regrets things he's done wrong. And he talks at length about the anguish and the hopelessness of life on death row, where he spent 16 years. And he makes it clear that anybody on drugs could end up like him. "All you gotta do is just, uh, load your blood system up with drugs, alcohol, and you don't know what you're doing. You could eas-ily be talked into doing anything…." He urges teens to find a substitute for drugs and alcohol. "If you're not into church, find something else," he said. "There's a better high out there than drugs and alcohol. Life is a high. And when you come in here, you've lost that."
Organizations or individuals interested in ordering the video, It Could Happen To You, may call the Catholic Conference of Kentucky in Frankfort, Kentucky at (502) 875-4345. The price is $15.00, which includes shipping and handling.
Rick Halperin, AL - Texas