Shawna Forde: From Minuteman to Convict to Prison Saint
Following Jesus is a dangerous business. Often, one is taken to places they could have never imagined. I recently went to such a place. You see, Shawna Forde was the organizer and leader of Minutemen American Defense, which patrolled Arizona’s border with Mexico. Forde and a variety of others participated in such activity with a firm belief that their actions were keeping people safe from the consequences of drug trafficking and human smuggling. Back in the 2000s, I remember regularly hearing about all sorts of groups taking part in these border patrol activities. Then as I do now, I thought it was a really terrible idea. Unregulated groups trying to regulate the general public most often quickly collapse into violence. In Forde’s situation, that is exactly what happened. Though it is clear that Forde never murdered anyone (based on all accounts), her associates were responsible for the 2009 murder of Raul Flores, Jr. and Brisenia Ylianna Flores, a father and young daughter. Gina Gonzalez, the wife and mother, was also shot but survived. Based on a flawed argument that Forde was the mastermind of the situation, prosecutors were able to secure a death sentence against her. Fast forward to the present, in my work with people on death rows across the country I am constantly encountering people who are connected to all sorts of horrible things. Jesus guides the way. That’s how I met Forde. Honestly, I expected her to be a monster. She’s not. Forde spends her days creating new programming and trying to teach other inmates various life skills. The lives of people all around her are astronomically improved simply based on her steady presence. In our conversations, Forde has made it clear that she wants me to be one thing, her spiritual advisor. Such a designation means that she has trusted me to be there for her. I would have never thought that either one of us would be in such a situation. We come from radically different political spaces. Then again, following Jesus is a dangerous business. We are often brought to the places that we least expect. I’m thankful for Shawna Forde and I will do all that I can to advocate for the continuation and growth of the beautiful life that she now lives.
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