Monday, November 16, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
West Memphis Three
Alright I saw a documentary from 1996 last night entitled "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills." It tells the story of the arrest and conviction of three teens for those brutal murders. The story really hit me, partly because I had already been aware or the WM3 about 10 years ago, when I was 12, and Trey Parker and Matt Stone ended an award speech with "Free the West Memphis Three!" I looked into the case and was appalled by the lack of justice for these young men. However in my selfishness and narrow-mindedness I had near forgot about them until seeing this film. And I couldn't have seen it at a better time.
Thankfully the internet has not forgotten about these 3 men, and the buzz is still there. And every year new evidence comes to light which will one day, hopefully, exonerate these men.
Now here is a brief synopsis of their story:
May 5th, 1993 three 8 year old boys disappeared and were later found brutally murdered, left n a ditch outside West Memphis, AK. Their bodies mutilated, sexual organs removed and left to rot. The police had little-to-nothing to go off of (This is before the use of DNA which is so commonplace now), and they were not used to such a terrible act in their district. Needless to say, the public was outraged and demanded justice. Police were scared this deed would go unpunished, until they found out about Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. The police were told that the boys were different, weird, and because of Damien's professed interest in Wicca, they were labeled "Satanists" and the crime a "Satanist Ritual."
After a 12 hour, unrecorded, undocumented interrogation of Misskelley (who has an IQ of 72.) Gave a coerced and false confession of guilt. It was nearly immediately denied by Misskelley, not to mention filled with information the police knew to be incorrect: including, but not limited to, the time of day, (He said it was noon, than 4, than 8), the injuries sustained (He claimed the boys were raped, but medical examiners they this is not true), and even what was used to subdue the boys (He said rope, and the assailant(s) used shoelaces.)
The police and prosecution, on the strength of their coerced confession, as well as the boys obvious difference from the other citizens of West Memphis, were able to slander the boys (aged 16, 17, and 18 at the time of trial) through the media assuring them an unfair trial. All boys were convicted. Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison, and Damien Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection.
They have all been in prison for 15 years, all over the age of 30, their entire adult lives stolen by a corrupt and prejudice system hellbent on revenge no matter who suffers.
Recently new evidence has come to light about their case: NO DNA taken from the crime scene matches any of the 3 accused, and although most of the DNA is the victims there was DNA at the crime scene of neither the 3 convicted or the 3 victims.
In September two legal advocacy groups including The Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions supported that the boys be granted a retrial.
In recent years, many of the parents of the victims have come forward supporting the West Memphis Three, and do not believe it was them.
However, because of our beautiful system, the boys have still not been able to get a retrial. Partly because the appeals process in West Memphis is run by a select few judges, none wanting to hurt the others. And if the appeals process continues to the Arkansas Supreme Court there is a good chance the judge from their original trial will be sitting on the bench, as he has announced his candidacy for next years election.
Chances are they will not see a retrial in Arkansas and this case will go to Federal court. I ask you all to look further into the case as this is only a very brief overview of this breach of justice at freewestmemphis3.org
Damien Echols has served 15 years on death row in solitary confinement.
Enough is enough.
Thankfully the internet has not forgotten about these 3 men, and the buzz is still there. And every year new evidence comes to light which will one day, hopefully, exonerate these men.
Now here is a brief synopsis of their story:
May 5th, 1993 three 8 year old boys disappeared and were later found brutally murdered, left n a ditch outside West Memphis, AK. Their bodies mutilated, sexual organs removed and left to rot. The police had little-to-nothing to go off of (This is before the use of DNA which is so commonplace now), and they were not used to such a terrible act in their district. Needless to say, the public was outraged and demanded justice. Police were scared this deed would go unpunished, until they found out about Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. The police were told that the boys were different, weird, and because of Damien's professed interest in Wicca, they were labeled "Satanists" and the crime a "Satanist Ritual."
After a 12 hour, unrecorded, undocumented interrogation of Misskelley (who has an IQ of 72.) Gave a coerced and false confession of guilt. It was nearly immediately denied by Misskelley, not to mention filled with information the police knew to be incorrect: including, but not limited to, the time of day, (He said it was noon, than 4, than 8), the injuries sustained (He claimed the boys were raped, but medical examiners they this is not true), and even what was used to subdue the boys (He said rope, and the assailant(s) used shoelaces.)
The police and prosecution, on the strength of their coerced confession, as well as the boys obvious difference from the other citizens of West Memphis, were able to slander the boys (aged 16, 17, and 18 at the time of trial) through the media assuring them an unfair trial. All boys were convicted. Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison, and Damien Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection.
They have all been in prison for 15 years, all over the age of 30, their entire adult lives stolen by a corrupt and prejudice system hellbent on revenge no matter who suffers.
Recently new evidence has come to light about their case: NO DNA taken from the crime scene matches any of the 3 accused, and although most of the DNA is the victims there was DNA at the crime scene of neither the 3 convicted or the 3 victims.
In September two legal advocacy groups including The Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions supported that the boys be granted a retrial.
In recent years, many of the parents of the victims have come forward supporting the West Memphis Three, and do not believe it was them.
However, because of our beautiful system, the boys have still not been able to get a retrial. Partly because the appeals process in West Memphis is run by a select few judges, none wanting to hurt the others. And if the appeals process continues to the Arkansas Supreme Court there is a good chance the judge from their original trial will be sitting on the bench, as he has announced his candidacy for next years election.
Chances are they will not see a retrial in Arkansas and this case will go to Federal court. I ask you all to look further into the case as this is only a very brief overview of this breach of justice at freewestmemphis3.org
Damien Echols has served 15 years on death row in solitary confinement.
Enough is enough.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An envelope (or is that Ahnvelope)
Alright, my first post is more for me than anyone else, but who knows could turn out to be interesting.
I suppose to preface this I should say that I recently quit a job at a mall department store. It was dreadful, and I decided to perform an existential exercise. Prove to myself that I wasn't trapped, and that if I forced myself out of that routine I would move on to bigger and better things. Still working on that part, but here we go.. baby steps.
Anyway, one fo the few things that got me through work was writing. We had little slips of paper everywhere and when things would come to me I would write them down. Now I worked for a year, so I have somewhere upwards of 100 scraps of paper that I (with a few exceptions) wrote down, and then put it in an envelope and forgot all about it. Now that I am not working there anymore I have decided to rummage through my words. I won't bore you with all of them, but for better or worse, here are the highlights.
"Making my first big sale today, I was treated like some kind of dancing chimp, in some backwoods carnivale, addicted to nicotine and ready to pounce. This is a repulsion for the work ethic that our parents will never understand. My God, vile thoughts for a wednesday morning."
I remember this one vividly. It was the first or second week I was working there. I think it sums up the whole experience.
"1 Cup lt. Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
3 eggs, slightly beat
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 Cup Bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Cup Pecan Halves
1/2 Cup Choc. Chips
1 9" unbaked pie shell
Cream sugar + butter
+eggs, syrup, salt, bourbon, van.
->Mix until well blended
Spread chopped pecans + ch chips
in bottom of pie shell
pour filling into shell
arrange pecan halves on top
bake 375 for 40-50 min."
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie I wrote from the cookbook we were selling. It was a wise choice, if you don't believe me, just give it a try.
The next is a song I wrote in this Woody Guthrie, talking blues style I had been listening to. It was last fall, and things in the retail market looked bleak.
"Well I woke up in the morning
I was running late for work
Hustled in the doorway
and I felt some trouble lurk
--
Bossman on the soap box
tellin how sorry he was
but his bonus for xmas
was too much to pay the rest of us
--
I clenched my fists
and pounded my feet
'n yelled "you told us
we were fine last week."
"Well, that was then
this is now
better grab your check
and get on out"
At home on the phone
they were sorry to say
the unemployment line
was full up that day
Tomorrow ain't lookin much better
So I wrote my local congressman a letter
I ain't lookin for a hand out
I'm tryin to work hard
You gonna try and fix this
or just cover your scars?
Is there any hope at all
with fear seeping in
is the worst yet to come,
or is the fix in?
--
Thanks for your concern
Our plan is hard to sell
But we'll solve all your problems
with a vote in twenty-twelve."
Alright, that's it for now. Too much to do, I'm sure I'll succumb to a real, "Life as I know it" entry soon enough.. Oh and here's what I'm listening to..
I suppose to preface this I should say that I recently quit a job at a mall department store. It was dreadful, and I decided to perform an existential exercise. Prove to myself that I wasn't trapped, and that if I forced myself out of that routine I would move on to bigger and better things. Still working on that part, but here we go.. baby steps.
Anyway, one fo the few things that got me through work was writing. We had little slips of paper everywhere and when things would come to me I would write them down. Now I worked for a year, so I have somewhere upwards of 100 scraps of paper that I (with a few exceptions) wrote down, and then put it in an envelope and forgot all about it. Now that I am not working there anymore I have decided to rummage through my words. I won't bore you with all of them, but for better or worse, here are the highlights.
"Making my first big sale today, I was treated like some kind of dancing chimp, in some backwoods carnivale, addicted to nicotine and ready to pounce. This is a repulsion for the work ethic that our parents will never understand. My God, vile thoughts for a wednesday morning."
I remember this one vividly. It was the first or second week I was working there. I think it sums up the whole experience.
"1 Cup lt. Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
3 eggs, slightly beat
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 Cup Bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Cup Pecan Halves
1/2 Cup Choc. Chips
1 9" unbaked pie shell
Cream sugar + butter
+eggs, syrup, salt, bourbon, van.
->Mix until well blended
Spread chopped pecans + ch chips
in bottom of pie shell
pour filling into shell
arrange pecan halves on top
bake 375 for 40-50 min."
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie I wrote from the cookbook we were selling. It was a wise choice, if you don't believe me, just give it a try.
The next is a song I wrote in this Woody Guthrie, talking blues style I had been listening to. It was last fall, and things in the retail market looked bleak.
"Well I woke up in the morning
I was running late for work
Hustled in the doorway
and I felt some trouble lurk
--
Bossman on the soap box
tellin how sorry he was
but his bonus for xmas
was too much to pay the rest of us
--
I clenched my fists
and pounded my feet
'n yelled "you told us
we were fine last week."
"Well, that was then
this is now
better grab your check
and get on out"
At home on the phone
they were sorry to say
the unemployment line
was full up that day
Tomorrow ain't lookin much better
So I wrote my local congressman a letter
I ain't lookin for a hand out
I'm tryin to work hard
You gonna try and fix this
or just cover your scars?
Is there any hope at all
with fear seeping in
is the worst yet to come,
or is the fix in?
--
Thanks for your concern
Our plan is hard to sell
But we'll solve all your problems
with a vote in twenty-twelve."
Alright, that's it for now. Too much to do, I'm sure I'll succumb to a real, "Life as I know it" entry soon enough.. Oh and here's what I'm listening to..
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