Tuesday, August 14, 2012
March, 7th, 2012
Wednesday, March 7th 2012 started out like any other typical day for me. What I didn't know was that it would change my life and my direction of it. For personal reasons I would rather not get into right now, the thing that changed the most was my relationship with some family members and my relationship with God. The relation ship with God changed as I viewed to cut out all the crap and devite my life to him.
My friends, I was falling in my walk with God and really needed Him to pick me up.
I can blame alot of things for why I decided to back slide, but the truth is it was my own doing. If churches wanted to accuse me of stalking, or othe so called church friends (at least the church I was going to) wanted to turn their backs on me, it wasn't their fault it was mine and I take the blame for it.
Walking with Christ, I'll admit has always been some what hard for me. I think to a degree it is for alot of people. But, I don't know, I have fallen so many times and acted like I wasn't even saved when it came to my attitude with some people.
But, perhaps to a degree we are all like that.
No one is perfect and we all fall short of the Glory Of God.
One area of my walk and what really needed to change was reading my Bible.
The Book is right by my beed in easy reach and chose to do something else.
It wasn't right.
I also think I was getting a little too involved with other matter's that quite frankly didn't need my help or opinion.
Writing for me has always been something that I loved doing, and for the most part that hasn't changed. But I was consentrating more on writing than my walk with God.
I have not gave up writing, I still I would like to think have plenty of ideas as far has screenplays go, but my walk with Jesus is far more important than any story I could imagine. So, for right now it is on hold.
I think that is one of the problems with people and their wal with Jesus, we sometimes get to sidetracked to see what or how God wants to work. By the time we relise that we have been distracked and need to come back is when for some perpose or another we find our selfs in trouble. And when I write 'trouble I don't mean breaking the law or that I did on this day, but it is usallly when that happens that we say, "Oh, Jesus, how I need you again."
So, as of March 7th, 2012, I have not tried writing another script and television, even though I do have my fave programs, those can go too.
In fact I even called dish network and changed my channels. Another distraction.
Now, I wouldn't say my life completley back on track, I still have other issues to work out, personally, but for the most part, my walk with Jesus is improving and I am so greatful for that.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The West Memphis Three
If you recall in my last entry I had made reference to three young men who made headline news for getting out of prison for murder. Murders they say they did not commit and proof to back it up.
Their names are Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin & Jesse Misskelly.
Known as the West Memphis Three.
In May of 1993 the body's of three eight year old cub scout were found brutally murdered in West Memphis Arkansas. About a month later, Damien, Jason and Jesse, young teenage boys at the time were arrested and charged with the crime. The police had very little to go on except a theory that the crime was done as a sacrifice to a cult.
Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin did not do it. Baldwin had a solid alibi for that evening. He was home with his mother and siblings, a fact that I am sure his mother tried to tell the police time and time again.
In June of 1993 Jesse Misskelly was questioned as to how he knew Echols and Baldwin and if he knew anything about the murder's. At the time he had said he knew nothing about it as to who did it and if he had anything to do with or if Baldwin or Echols had any involvement.
This interrogation was with done without an attorney present and without Miranda rights being read.
After hours of questioning, Misskelly who was diagnosed with mild retardation, finally said he had did it along with Echols and Baldwin. Not because he was guilty and wanted to clear his conscience, but to get these detectives off his back.
He had later recanted and during the trials of the three teens it was later stated as a false confession. Echols and Baldwin's trial didn't use the confession.
All three were tried and convicted. Misskelly and Baldwin getting life in prison without the possibilty of parole and Echols sentenced to death. Echols was supposedly the ring leader.
Case Closed? Thankfully no.
Documentary film maker's,Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofky were hired by HBO, a television cable company to do a film on what they thought, in their own words were kids gone wrong.
When Sinofsky and Berlinger got to Arkansas and had the chance to meet with everyone involved, including Damien, Jesse and Jason they soon realised that this was different. These young suspect were not monster's but were innocent.
Flash forward to 1996, three years after the murders and two years since the West Memphis Three were charged and found guilty, the documentary, "Paradise Lost: The Child murders At Robin Hills Estates" aired on HBO.
Immediately, speculation as to the three's guilt were called into question by hundreds of people, myself included.
It is very safe to say, or actually there is no other way to say this but had it not have been for the documentarys these three young men would still be in prison and one of them possibly would have been excuted.
"Paradise" opened the eyes of many people who questioned the verdicts, investigated the case and donated hours upon hours of time and money to get these young free.
It took alot of time, 18 years to be exact, but now these men are free but not exactly cleared.
Now with DNA evidence to back up their claim of innocence , the three are not only searching for who ever might have done this crime, but also looking to clear their names and be exonerated.
That is something I personally have never been able to comprehend. You have people who are tried and convicted for crime they did not do and it leaves the actual perpetrator to get away with murder.
Coward.
When I first saw the 'Paradise' documentary in 1996 I remember thinking two things, one, this case had alot of holes in it and two it seemed like all the West Memphis police department wanted to do was get the people involved and let it go.
I am not in Law enforcement and I am not a Lawyer, but it is safe to say you have to do your job and not just find the first person and think ok, I am satisfied.
I would like to say I am leaving out alot, there is alot more I could write about this, but for the moment I choose not too.
Another thing I remember about the film was at the end thinking to myself, well, if and only if they did it than they got what they deserved, if they did not do it, in time it will be proven and these young men can get their lives back.
Once again, had it not have been for Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for making the films, there are 3 total, (Paradise Lost2:Revaltions and the most recent, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory which has been nominated for an accedemy award for best documentary) who is to say what would have happened.
Would Echols, Baldwin & Misskelly some how proven their innocence on their own?
Perhaps. Anything is possible
or would they have rotted in prison for the rest of their lives?
Who knows.
But one thing can be said, well alot of things can be said, but to be brief, Berlinger and Sinofsky are life saver's in the minds of alot of people, including mine.
I don't get behind, or support too many cases that involve murder. I tried to once, but I couldn't because my conscience was telling me not to.
If someone kills someone in cold blood and there is a group of people that support the person or person;s that their thing, but for me personally, I couldn't.
I wrote about it in 2010 in an entry entitled 'Are you for or against it' where for the most part I was referring to protesting.
I'll close with this, the west memphis three did not commit the crime they were accused of and to a degree the state of Arkansas agrees. (They took a rare legal move known as an alford plea to be set free and to claim their innocence but at the same time saying they were guilty)
but all that aside, there would have been many lives left alone, the family's of Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin and most importantly the family's of the murdered victims had the real perpetrator either came forward or was caught at the time instead of thinking he or she could get away with murder when the west memphis three were convicted.
You're a coward whoever you are and where ever you are you need to be brought to justice.
I'll write again it, many lives could have been spared if this person or persons were found.
Hell, I'll go one further and say many innocent lives would have been spared had this tragedy never happened at all.
Their names are Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin & Jesse Misskelly.
Known as the West Memphis Three.
In May of 1993 the body's of three eight year old cub scout were found brutally murdered in West Memphis Arkansas. About a month later, Damien, Jason and Jesse, young teenage boys at the time were arrested and charged with the crime. The police had very little to go on except a theory that the crime was done as a sacrifice to a cult.
Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin did not do it. Baldwin had a solid alibi for that evening. He was home with his mother and siblings, a fact that I am sure his mother tried to tell the police time and time again.
In June of 1993 Jesse Misskelly was questioned as to how he knew Echols and Baldwin and if he knew anything about the murder's. At the time he had said he knew nothing about it as to who did it and if he had anything to do with or if Baldwin or Echols had any involvement.
This interrogation was with done without an attorney present and without Miranda rights being read.
After hours of questioning, Misskelly who was diagnosed with mild retardation, finally said he had did it along with Echols and Baldwin. Not because he was guilty and wanted to clear his conscience, but to get these detectives off his back.
He had later recanted and during the trials of the three teens it was later stated as a false confession. Echols and Baldwin's trial didn't use the confession.
All three were tried and convicted. Misskelly and Baldwin getting life in prison without the possibilty of parole and Echols sentenced to death. Echols was supposedly the ring leader.
Case Closed? Thankfully no.
Documentary film maker's,Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofky were hired by HBO, a television cable company to do a film on what they thought, in their own words were kids gone wrong.
When Sinofsky and Berlinger got to Arkansas and had the chance to meet with everyone involved, including Damien, Jesse and Jason they soon realised that this was different. These young suspect were not monster's but were innocent.
Flash forward to 1996, three years after the murders and two years since the West Memphis Three were charged and found guilty, the documentary, "Paradise Lost: The Child murders At Robin Hills Estates" aired on HBO.
Immediately, speculation as to the three's guilt were called into question by hundreds of people, myself included.
It is very safe to say, or actually there is no other way to say this but had it not have been for the documentarys these three young men would still be in prison and one of them possibly would have been excuted.
"Paradise" opened the eyes of many people who questioned the verdicts, investigated the case and donated hours upon hours of time and money to get these young free.
It took alot of time, 18 years to be exact, but now these men are free but not exactly cleared.
Now with DNA evidence to back up their claim of innocence , the three are not only searching for who ever might have done this crime, but also looking to clear their names and be exonerated.
That is something I personally have never been able to comprehend. You have people who are tried and convicted for crime they did not do and it leaves the actual perpetrator to get away with murder.
Coward.
When I first saw the 'Paradise' documentary in 1996 I remember thinking two things, one, this case had alot of holes in it and two it seemed like all the West Memphis police department wanted to do was get the people involved and let it go.
I am not in Law enforcement and I am not a Lawyer, but it is safe to say you have to do your job and not just find the first person and think ok, I am satisfied.
I would like to say I am leaving out alot, there is alot more I could write about this, but for the moment I choose not too.
Another thing I remember about the film was at the end thinking to myself, well, if and only if they did it than they got what they deserved, if they did not do it, in time it will be proven and these young men can get their lives back.
Once again, had it not have been for Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for making the films, there are 3 total, (Paradise Lost2:Revaltions and the most recent, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory which has been nominated for an accedemy award for best documentary) who is to say what would have happened.
Would Echols, Baldwin & Misskelly some how proven their innocence on their own?
Perhaps. Anything is possible
or would they have rotted in prison for the rest of their lives?
Who knows.
But one thing can be said, well alot of things can be said, but to be brief, Berlinger and Sinofsky are life saver's in the minds of alot of people, including mine.
I don't get behind, or support too many cases that involve murder. I tried to once, but I couldn't because my conscience was telling me not to.
If someone kills someone in cold blood and there is a group of people that support the person or person;s that their thing, but for me personally, I couldn't.
I wrote about it in 2010 in an entry entitled 'Are you for or against it' where for the most part I was referring to protesting.
I'll close with this, the west memphis three did not commit the crime they were accused of and to a degree the state of Arkansas agrees. (They took a rare legal move known as an alford plea to be set free and to claim their innocence but at the same time saying they were guilty)
but all that aside, there would have been many lives left alone, the family's of Echols, Misskelly and Baldwin and most importantly the family's of the murdered victims had the real perpetrator either came forward or was caught at the time instead of thinking he or she could get away with murder when the west memphis three were convicted.
You're a coward whoever you are and where ever you are you need to be brought to justice.
I'll write again it, many lives could have been spared if this person or persons were found.
Hell, I'll go one further and say many innocent lives would have been spared had this tragedy never happened at all.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Court Of Public Opinion
Note: Before I begin writing I would like to make one thing clear. The cases I am mentioning I did not follow. One of them, I had heard about from a 3 part documentary and the other's were highly talked about in the media. This is just my opinion I am not trying to lay either guilt or innocence. Hopefully you will see the point of this blog after you read it.
Read On.
This past Monday evening I had watched the third part of a documentary series on television. It was entitled Paradise Lost. it was about three young men who in 1994 were convicted of murdering three young preteen boys in the state of Arkansas. Very brutal crime to say the least. I saw the first one and half of the second, but the third one was the one that made me think.
The three men, known as the 'West Memphis Three' were just teenager's when this happened, they were all found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Flash forward eighteen years later, the three men are being released from prison due to DNA testing which proved they didn't do the crime. There is alot more to the story, but I am on a schedule.
When I first saw this documentary, the first part was released in either 1995 or 1996, and saw the proceedings as these teens were being convicted, I thought to myself,"well, they deserved it. It was a brutal thing and they didn't seem to show any remorse for it, they got what they deserved." One of the teens when asked before the his verdict was read, if he was found not guilty what was he going to do. The young man said he was going to get drunk. Not the kind of thing you want to be thinking when you're being tried for murder. Not that I would know, but, it's a guess. I didn't know the whole story, nor at the time did I care to. Like I said, there was much more to come of this case.
But that's it, isn't it?. We as a nation when we hear about a crime that has made the national news we tend to think they're guilty right off the bat. Even when they for what ever the reason are found innocent of the crimes they are being tried for, we still think, well they may have gotten off, but, they're still guilty.
Micheal Jackson, O.J Simpson and Casey Anthony. All of them had national attention drawn to their trials and all of them were found not guilty buy their respective jury's.
Why? Good question.
I don't have the answer. I was not on either jury.
I don't really know if it is a good thing or a bad thing to feel that way about something like that. Like I wrote earlier, I didn't follow the west memphis three case and I didn't follow the other three cases I just mentioned
All though it was hard not to notice with three of them.
Should Anthony, Jackson and Simpson have been found guilty? Maybe. Or was it that they at least in the case of Anthony and Simpson were the first people noticed so all the clues point to them.
Who knows?
In the eyes of some, regardless of proof of innocence at their respective trials they are guilty.
I am not trying to argue with anyone over this. I some times feel the same way.
Jackson for instance, it doesn't matter what your name is or how much money you have one thing you simply do not do is take young children into your bed and think the public when they get wind of it is going to be ok with it, because they were not. A lot of people and for good reasons felt that what Jackson did was odd and they started to question why a man would do something like that.
Love Micheal Jackson or not, the situation with the sleepover with young boys was a no-no and Jackson only had himself to blame.
Yeah, I wrote it.
But, regardless, in his trial, he was found not guilty.
I'll write it again. It is easy to watch a court trial and not think that the person would be found guilty. Most often than not, they are and deserve what ever comes their way, other's like the Arkansas case where it seems they were innocent, it took years to prove it.
Not that it has been proven yet. If you decide you want to know more go to any search engine and type in 'west memphis three'
I think the point I am trying to make is this: Every one likes to point fingers and just say or even think, well they got the person, that's good enough for me. Even if they are not, we still point fingers.
Is it wrong or is it right? I would have to say it depends. Three out of the four cases I have have been writing about murder was involved. Two of them having to do with children. Murder of any kind is wrong, but it just seems that when its a child it becomes more personal. I can see why. Whether a jury of your peers finds them innocent or whether they have to prove it decades later, the fact remains they're are still going to be people that think and perhaps even say that in their eyes you're still guilty.
Good or bad, right or wrong with Memphis,Simpson and Anthony, people are dead. And if they didn't do it than who did and will they ever be caught and brought to justice?
Read On.
This past Monday evening I had watched the third part of a documentary series on television. It was entitled Paradise Lost. it was about three young men who in 1994 were convicted of murdering three young preteen boys in the state of Arkansas. Very brutal crime to say the least. I saw the first one and half of the second, but the third one was the one that made me think.
The three men, known as the 'West Memphis Three' were just teenager's when this happened, they were all found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Flash forward eighteen years later, the three men are being released from prison due to DNA testing which proved they didn't do the crime. There is alot more to the story, but I am on a schedule.
When I first saw this documentary, the first part was released in either 1995 or 1996, and saw the proceedings as these teens were being convicted, I thought to myself,"well, they deserved it. It was a brutal thing and they didn't seem to show any remorse for it, they got what they deserved." One of the teens when asked before the his verdict was read, if he was found not guilty what was he going to do. The young man said he was going to get drunk. Not the kind of thing you want to be thinking when you're being tried for murder. Not that I would know, but, it's a guess. I didn't know the whole story, nor at the time did I care to. Like I said, there was much more to come of this case.
But that's it, isn't it?. We as a nation when we hear about a crime that has made the national news we tend to think they're guilty right off the bat. Even when they for what ever the reason are found innocent of the crimes they are being tried for, we still think, well they may have gotten off, but, they're still guilty.
Micheal Jackson, O.J Simpson and Casey Anthony. All of them had national attention drawn to their trials and all of them were found not guilty buy their respective jury's.
Why? Good question.
I don't have the answer. I was not on either jury.
I don't really know if it is a good thing or a bad thing to feel that way about something like that. Like I wrote earlier, I didn't follow the west memphis three case and I didn't follow the other three cases I just mentioned
All though it was hard not to notice with three of them.
Should Anthony, Jackson and Simpson have been found guilty? Maybe. Or was it that they at least in the case of Anthony and Simpson were the first people noticed so all the clues point to them.
Who knows?
In the eyes of some, regardless of proof of innocence at their respective trials they are guilty.
I am not trying to argue with anyone over this. I some times feel the same way.
Jackson for instance, it doesn't matter what your name is or how much money you have one thing you simply do not do is take young children into your bed and think the public when they get wind of it is going to be ok with it, because they were not. A lot of people and for good reasons felt that what Jackson did was odd and they started to question why a man would do something like that.
Love Micheal Jackson or not, the situation with the sleepover with young boys was a no-no and Jackson only had himself to blame.
Yeah, I wrote it.
But, regardless, in his trial, he was found not guilty.
I'll write it again. It is easy to watch a court trial and not think that the person would be found guilty. Most often than not, they are and deserve what ever comes their way, other's like the Arkansas case where it seems they were innocent, it took years to prove it.
Not that it has been proven yet. If you decide you want to know more go to any search engine and type in 'west memphis three'
I think the point I am trying to make is this: Every one likes to point fingers and just say or even think, well they got the person, that's good enough for me. Even if they are not, we still point fingers.
Is it wrong or is it right? I would have to say it depends. Three out of the four cases I have have been writing about murder was involved. Two of them having to do with children. Murder of any kind is wrong, but it just seems that when its a child it becomes more personal. I can see why. Whether a jury of your peers finds them innocent or whether they have to prove it decades later, the fact remains they're are still going to be people that think and perhaps even say that in their eyes you're still guilty.
Good or bad, right or wrong with Memphis,Simpson and Anthony, people are dead. And if they didn't do it than who did and will they ever be caught and brought to justice?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)