Maria Wilkinson of Concord is a research intern in Taiwan at Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP).
As someone born and raised in New Hampshire, it was surprising that the first time I heard of Renny Cushing was when I began my work on researching the death penalty in Taiwan.
Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP) has had a long relationship with Cushing and his humanitarian efforts. Renny’s own organization, Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights (MVFHR), was a true sister abolition organization with TAEDP.
The fact that I came to know him halfway across the globe, goes to show the large and sweeping effects that Renny had in his life. From his endeavors to lower the voting age to protesting nuclear power, Renny was a revolutionary. His impact on the death penalty was one of his greatest battles though. After his father was murdered in his home, his stance on abolishing the death penalty became even more prevalent. In 2019, with Renny the head of the movement, New Hampshire finally appealed the death penalty.
Renny showed the world that a victim’s family member, despite the tragedy experienced, shouldn’t lose their ability to maintain their values. Renny gave families agency and a voice to take ownership of their story. He demonstrated this core value by moving into the home his father was murdered in, raising his three children there, and passing there.
“We lost a real fighter in our mission,” said Toshi Kazama, a photographer and the MVFHR Asia director. For Renny, his fight was real and it was powerful. Many know of Renny’s father’s death, Robert R. Cushing Sr. But a story told to Toshi by Renny illuminated the origins of his driving force.
Cushing Sr. was a soldier who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He took Renny to Japan while he was younger and told him the story of the horrendous battle. The words that became engraved in Renny from that trip were “all the blood was wasted on that island.”
When faced with the loss of his father, the misgiving of wasted blood became very real for him. Cushing Sr.’s perception went beyond war and expanded into Renny’s view of life. War and capital punishment are both blood wasted by order of the government.
Renny has been very influential at home, but most don’t know about his impact in Asia. Lin Hsinyi, executive director from TAEDP, met Renny in 2007 when Renny came with his group MVFHR to Asia. It was their first of many tours in the region. The idea that there were victims’ families that don’t support the death penalty shattered a lot of embedded beliefs in public opinion within Asia.
Renny demonstrated that there is not only one face for victims, there are many faces. No matter if Taiwan abolishes now, eventually, or in the long run, Renny’s work conveyed that victims’ protection is important and should be a priority of any government. His impact has influenced Taiwan’s judicial system. The concept of restorative justice in Taiwan began with a seed planted by Renny and has now begun to bloom.
Elizabeth Zitrin, another life-long advocate for abolishing the death penalty stated, “He worked in an area primarily where there is so much pain, heartbreak, and violence, and he used his personal power and empathy to be able to articulately express that creating more violence and more pain cannot be the answer.”
The Co-director of MVFHR Kate Lowenstein’s work collaboration and friendship with Renny grew from their shared commitment to making sure that those who were already harmed by murder were not further harmed by the systems and movements that were supposed to be supporting them. When remarking on Renny, Kate said, “He was exhausting and wonderful, he was a pain in the ass, and the very very best of humanity. I will always wish I could be more like Renny.”
Hsinyi and colleagues at TAEDP shared the time they went to the Dead Sea with Renny during a break at the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) general assembly in Jordan. When they got to the sea, no one had prepared anything for swimming. Renny didn’t let that slow him down. Quickly, he stripped down to his undergarments and jumped in. He knew how to enjoy life and to live fully. “He loved deeply, he hurt deeply, and he laughed deeply,” Kate wrote.
Renny has made the world a better place, be it in New Hampshire or the world. His impact will continue to improve the lives of those to come. From Taiwan to Japan and Concord, his absence will be felt. Thank you for all your hard work, Renny.