Moments ago, the State of Georgia pronounced Troy Davis dead. For those of you who don't know, Davis was convicted 20 years ago of killing a police officer. The court case has been in question ever since, with 7/9 eye witnesses recanting their testimony and some even claiming police coercion and bullying. Contrary to popular belief, Davis did NOT confess in court and later recant-- witnesses said Davis confessed to THEM and later recanted their testimony saying the police threatened them with arrest and prosecution if they had not testified against Davis. 12 people found Davis guilty of murder in under 2 hours and another 12 sentenced him to death after 7. Nine hours of consideration to end the life of a person.
I know the death penalty is a sticky subject, and one that I believe brings out the worst in people. A woman I know who considers herself to be very Christian and forgiving said, "Sorry, buddy, you shot a police officer in the face, you get a one way ticket courtesy of the State of Georgia."
Though I'm not religious, how can you claim to follow a faith full of Grace and Forgiveness and claim that it isn't your place to judge and then turn around and say something like that?
Our judicial system isn't perfect, and even if it was I'd be against the Death Penalty.
1. The Davis case proves that even though there was (in my mind and the minds of many of my lawyer friends) plenty of room and reason to re-open this case and this investigation, the system is built to support its decisions. There's no wiggle room on high profile cases.
2. The potential for systematic abuse exists on the front end. Do I understand the desire of the officers in Davis' case to find justice for a fellow officer? Of course. But do I think they should have been entrusted to investigating the case and handling the witnesses? No. No I do not. We say that people are fine, upstanding citizens, but you don't know what kind of person you are until you're put in that situation.
3. Who are we to judge? I could not in good conscience send another human being to death under any circumstances. If they're mentally ill, can we really hold them responsible for their actions? If not, and they repent, wouldn't living with that for the rest of your life be punishment enough? And what about prison? Do we really think that's all sunshine and rainbows?
4. What's the point? Will killing someone for killing someone, tit for tat, an eye for an eye REALLY help serve justice? It doesn't bring back McPhail or any other person presumably killed by a death row inmate. I can't imagine the sorrow and pain that the victim's family feels, I know what it's like to have someone suddenly ripped from your life and to add the strife of a violent and potentially painful death AND a court case AND an execution... can't we just leave them to grieve? Why do we have to drag them through all of that? Are you going to feel any better about yourself for depriving another mother of her son? Another wife of her husband? Another child of her parent?
It isn't our place to judge. There are bigger forces than us at play and I, for one, am inclined to leave things to them. My thoughts are with both McPhail's and Davis's families tonight and I hope that both men are at peace in a better world than this one.
I'll leave you with this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which is something we should remember and take to heart each and every day:
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
SO proud of my gals!
No, I'm not dead! I've just gone from being sick for a week with a stomach virus (only two days of actual virus-ing, the rest was an overblown recovery time!) to recruitment and now I'm sitting here putting off things I need to do...
I'm so proud of my girls, I can't begin to explain it! Here are some shots from recruitment and Bid Day when we met our 25 AMAZING new members!!
It was a long, hard, and stressful week for all of us but it paid off in the end-- our phenomenal new members are excited about AOII and we couldn't be happier to have them!
I'm so proud of my girls, I can't begin to explain it! Here are some shots from recruitment and Bid Day when we met our 25 AMAZING new members!!
Danielle and Poel at the door for Open House
Walkway in for Open House
Goofy Chapter after Open House
Poel, my AMAZING VP Membership Recruitment and I after Sisterhood
Girls at the door for Sisterhood-- EmJ, Marie, and Katie mug for the camera
The girls went to Piedmont and took some BEAUTIFUL pictures to put on the wall!
Kentucky Derby Theme...
TOO CUTE!
This is Hannah, one of my advisees, doing her best Stepford Wife impression
Me and Diana after Sisterhood-- she is TOO FUNNY
Philanthropy Banner
Welcome Home!!
Chapter after Philanthropy
Balloon Party!
Kristen, Yasaman and I are stuck in the elevator!
Danielle and Poel before Preference
Gamma Sigma Alumnae at Preference
Chapter in Rose Formation after Preference
Vanessa, Jessica and Jessica with the Bid Day Bags
We're going 90's this fall!
Getting ready for Run Out
Chu-Chu with the Alpha!
Alumnae, New Members, and Collegiate Members!!
It was a long, hard, and stressful week for all of us but it paid off in the end-- our phenomenal new members are excited about AOII and we couldn't be happier to have them!
Fall 2011 Pledge Class!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Chickamauga
So we stopped at Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefield on our way back in to town, a civil war site which was a win for the South tactically, though they lost almost 2,000 more men than the North. I was very impressed with the displays they had evaluating the causes of the Civil War (it wasn't just slavery, y'all!) and showing the progression of the war including all the major milestones. The most impressive collection was that of a man who donated his gun collection to the battlefield! The guns ranged in age from 1803-1913!
I figured out that my phone camera was PERFECT for shooting detail through the glass because I could put the lens up to the glass (thus avoiding the reflection issue) and it was willing to focus on something close up and fairly well. These pictures were re-sized, so if you want a closer look at some of the amazing details on the trigger areas on these.
Republic of Texas Gun
Gun forged at Harper's Ferry, which changed sides 8 times during the War!
I thought this one was quite nice
And this is the butt of the gun!
The one with the filigree is in the middle
Shovel or bayonet? You make the call-- though I think it could be a dual use sort of thing.
British gun from the Civil War
Belt buckles found on the grounds at Chickamauga
Sunday, August 28, 2011
North Georgia
We are back safe and sound from Knoxville, a detailed (but boring) post to follow-- until then, enjoy the scenic view in North Georgia. LOVE my home state!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Holla back internets
Life, as always, has been pretty busy lately-- the transition from summer to after school has almost completed itself and our new checkout system is in place at work so things are going fairly well on that front. We're also getting a chance to relax at home and since after school is on, I get to think about taking a break!
This weekend, we're going to Knoxville thanks to a LivingSocial escape-- I'm DEFINITELY excited for a three day weekend to relax with Jeremy and to see S-K and Chelsea while we're there! The deal lands us two nights in the Presidential Whirlpool Suite, a facial massage at an Aveda salon, and a trip to the movies! I'm very excited, we definitely need a weekend of relaxation. I'll take the computer anyway, but I'm dedicated to not checking work stuff the entire time we're there. Period!
Next month we have a week that we could potentially take off, and we're hoping to go to NC to see my Aunt and Uncle. We'd thought about going up to Memphis, but it looks like Ana won't be there by the time we'll get there. We really hope we get to see her again before they leave the country because we promised we would, but we'll see how long it takes for them to get everything straightened out. We'll also be in Memphis at the end of October for homecoming and then up to Indiana for Thanksgiving. Since all the schools have the entire week off for Thanksgiving, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we won't have enough people to sign up for Thanksgiving break and we'll get the whole week off automatically! What a blessing THAT would be!!
Christmas is here this year with my mom, and she's really excited to have us be at OBC for their services. It's a nice, quiet, peaceful service and even though we won't have a white Christmas like last year I'm sure it'll be beautiful! I need to figure out what we're going to do for our second anniversary, too. I've already decided that I want to have everyone sign the guest book from the wedding at each anniversary. I missed last year, but I can start this year-- there's so much space left in that book, and every year that we're together we have more friends and there's nothing to say that our anniversaries aren't just as special as our wedding!
I'll stop there and see if I can think of anything more interesting to post-- if nothing else, I'll put up pictures from Knoxville when we get back!
This weekend, we're going to Knoxville thanks to a LivingSocial escape-- I'm DEFINITELY excited for a three day weekend to relax with Jeremy and to see S-K and Chelsea while we're there! The deal lands us two nights in the Presidential Whirlpool Suite, a facial massage at an Aveda salon, and a trip to the movies! I'm very excited, we definitely need a weekend of relaxation. I'll take the computer anyway, but I'm dedicated to not checking work stuff the entire time we're there. Period!
Next month we have a week that we could potentially take off, and we're hoping to go to NC to see my Aunt and Uncle. We'd thought about going up to Memphis, but it looks like Ana won't be there by the time we'll get there. We really hope we get to see her again before they leave the country because we promised we would, but we'll see how long it takes for them to get everything straightened out. We'll also be in Memphis at the end of October for homecoming and then up to Indiana for Thanksgiving. Since all the schools have the entire week off for Thanksgiving, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we won't have enough people to sign up for Thanksgiving break and we'll get the whole week off automatically! What a blessing THAT would be!!
Christmas is here this year with my mom, and she's really excited to have us be at OBC for their services. It's a nice, quiet, peaceful service and even though we won't have a white Christmas like last year I'm sure it'll be beautiful! I need to figure out what we're going to do for our second anniversary, too. I've already decided that I want to have everyone sign the guest book from the wedding at each anniversary. I missed last year, but I can start this year-- there's so much space left in that book, and every year that we're together we have more friends and there's nothing to say that our anniversaries aren't just as special as our wedding!
I'll stop there and see if I can think of anything more interesting to post-- if nothing else, I'll put up pictures from Knoxville when we get back!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Really, July?
It has gotten hot here. And it's been hot all summer, but now it's just oppressive. I love love love living in the South, but every now and again we have a summer that's just KILLER! Don't get me wrong, I'll take this over the heat in Arizona any day, but GUH it would be nice to walk out the door and not want to walk right back inside!
This summer has been exhausting; there's so much more to deal with than there was last summer and I'm so tired of people expecting a thousand things from me that they know I can't do. If you want hours, don't take days off. If you're bothered by something, mention it instead of letting it fester. The usual obvious stuff! But, after school is about to start and hopefully it will be a little less stressful.
We found out last weekend that Ana and Valerie were back down in Memphis; we'd assumed they were staying in Indiana. I'm hoping we get to go up soon since we couldn't afford to last weekend. It'd be amazing to see them again, and we promised Ana we'd see her before China and Mitike got here. We're not sure about when Matt and Valerie will be able to go get them, but it's looking like it might be a little bit longer so that could give us some time. We keep trying to get everyone to come visit us in Atlanta now that we have extra bedrooms and some great new Ethiopian restaurants under our belt, but so far no go!
September we're going to take a week off which will hurt financially, but we need a break. I'm planning on going up to see my Aunt and Uncle in NC since we haven't seen them since the wedding and the last time we were up there was right after my wisdom teeth surgery so I wasn't very with it! We can go up the week of Jeremy's birthday and maybe have a little bit of a honeymoon (finally...) and meet my cousin's new baby girl, Blakely! November might be excellent because all the school districts have Thanksgiving WEEK off and we may not have to open for Thanksgiving! That means we could go to Indiana early since it's our year to be there for Thanksgiving and here for Christmas and spend plenty of time with Josh and Sarah, and maybe Ana, Matt, and Valerie if the paperwork comes in at the last minute!
I'm excited for the rest of the year. Now that we're (generally) moved in to our new place, I think it'll be easier for us to cook at home a little more and spend less money going out! We're also going to try to get on top of the job search for Jeremy! Hopefully we can find him something he really enjoys and that will get us a little more income... that would be helpful for our travel expenses for sure!
Well, that's enough for now, hopefully I'll have a little more time to keep y'all updated!!
Ciao for now!
This summer has been exhausting; there's so much more to deal with than there was last summer and I'm so tired of people expecting a thousand things from me that they know I can't do. If you want hours, don't take days off. If you're bothered by something, mention it instead of letting it fester. The usual obvious stuff! But, after school is about to start and hopefully it will be a little less stressful.
We found out last weekend that Ana and Valerie were back down in Memphis; we'd assumed they were staying in Indiana. I'm hoping we get to go up soon since we couldn't afford to last weekend. It'd be amazing to see them again, and we promised Ana we'd see her before China and Mitike got here. We're not sure about when Matt and Valerie will be able to go get them, but it's looking like it might be a little bit longer so that could give us some time. We keep trying to get everyone to come visit us in Atlanta now that we have extra bedrooms and some great new Ethiopian restaurants under our belt, but so far no go!
September we're going to take a week off which will hurt financially, but we need a break. I'm planning on going up to see my Aunt and Uncle in NC since we haven't seen them since the wedding and the last time we were up there was right after my wisdom teeth surgery so I wasn't very with it! We can go up the week of Jeremy's birthday and maybe have a little bit of a honeymoon (finally...) and meet my cousin's new baby girl, Blakely! November might be excellent because all the school districts have Thanksgiving WEEK off and we may not have to open for Thanksgiving! That means we could go to Indiana early since it's our year to be there for Thanksgiving and here for Christmas and spend plenty of time with Josh and Sarah, and maybe Ana, Matt, and Valerie if the paperwork comes in at the last minute!
I'm excited for the rest of the year. Now that we're (generally) moved in to our new place, I think it'll be easier for us to cook at home a little more and spend less money going out! We're also going to try to get on top of the job search for Jeremy! Hopefully we can find him something he really enjoys and that will get us a little more income... that would be helpful for our travel expenses for sure!
Well, that's enough for now, hopefully I'll have a little more time to keep y'all updated!!
Ciao for now!
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