As of my recent post in regards to Troy Davis, he was given a 25 day stay of execution. Troy has released this letter:
This is a message from Troy Anthony Davis
November 2008
I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.
As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can't even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.
I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.
So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis'. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe.
I want you to know that the trauma placed on me and my family as I have now faced execution and the death chamber 3 times is more punishment than most can bare; yet as I face this state santioned terror, I realize one constant, my faith is unwavering, the love of my family and friends is massive and the fight for justice and against injustice by activists world-wide has ignited a fire that is raging for Human Rights and Human Dignity. You inspire me, you honor me and as I pray for strength and guidance for my family and loved ones, for the victims family and loved ones, I share with you this struggle, I share with you our triumps, knowing that you add to my strength, my courage and because of that, I share with you my life.
We must Dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.
I can't wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,
" I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!
Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!
This is the 3rd time that Troy has faced execution! Please speak up! Let's not let him go back for a 4th time! Tell everyone you know about Troy Davis and ask them to speak up! We can not stand by idly while an innocent man is put to death! A decision is expected no later than November 24, 2008.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Dear Mark A. Gregg,
Dear Mark A.Gregg,
My name is Jodi. I have read your letter with earnest thought and as a white single female I feel that it is very necessary for me to respond to your letter.
"Dear Mr.Obama,
It is August 30, 2008. My name is Mark Gregg. I am a 50 something conservative white male. I have followed your campaign closely, including the speeches you and others made at the democratic national convention. I am respectfully providing you with seven simple (probably shallow) reasons why I could never vote for you. I believe my opinion is shared by many people. While there may not be quite enough to prevent you from becoming president of this nation, I do think there is an awakening to the fact that you are not a (the) messiah that the media and liberal Hollywood entertainers are trying to portray you."
Mr Gregg, in the very first paragraph of your letter you have already pointed out that you are of a different race, party, and religion. None of which are suppose to determine the qualifications of a president.
I don't care if a person qualified for the presidency were black, white, latino, asian, or any other race. I do not care if you are white Mr Gregg, why do you set yourself apart as a white man? Sounds racist to me. Why do you proclaim your political party other than to note that it is of difference? Don't we all want the same things at the very core of ourselves; which is the pursuit of life, love, and happiness? And to reference Mr. Obama as a(the) "messiah" is ridiculous. You're a Christian, you should know that there is no other Messiah as your religion proclaims.
"1. I hear your mantra of change, change, change. Yet, you picked a long term, liberal, Washington insider (Joe Biden) to be your running mate. This is NOT change. It is a move that hypocritically refutes the very thing you supposedly stand for. Your campaign then slammed McCain for picking Sarah Palin, apparently, because she is NOT a Washington insider. She is a maverick who cleaned-up Alaska's quagmire of political scandals.
Which way is it, Barack? Is it okay for you to pick a Washington insider under the mantra of change, but not okay for John McCain to pick a smart, aggressive, reformer?"
The definition of Maverick... for those of you who don't know what it is:
"A lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates"
It has been PROVEN that Sarah Palin had the boss of her sister's ex-husband fired because he refused to fire the ex husband. After the investigation a reporter asked her about the allegations of said abuse of power and her response? "I was glad to be cleared of any wrong doing." Are you kidding me Mr. Gregg? Do some research outside of what your neo-con friends are spewing at you.
It's not hard and only takes some time!
It has been proven that Palin has exploited her power as Governor as Alaska so that her children would travel for free (and unexpectedly) to different events on the tax payers dollar.
Yes, Sarah Palin sounds like a MAVERICK to me!!
While I may seem a bit of a "Maverick" myself when it comes to animal rights, offering $147 for the severed leg of a wolf is sickening. Trying to legally refute the listing of Beluga whales on the endangered species list is just as bad. Mrs.
Palin, there are only 400 Beluga whales alive, how endangered does a species have to be before they are considered endanger?
Sarah's Palin's experience in foreign policy is "You betcha! I can see Russia from this island in Alaska". She proclaims that she has worked with Russia in trade agreements, but ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION states are not able to enter trade agreements with foreign countries. Has Ms. Palin not taken an introductory political science class? And if you believe her.... have not you???
"2. You have the single most liberal voting record in the senate. This indicates to me and others like me that you may very well be an angry black man seeking to punish our country for sins of a different generation. I am not racist. I have some biases just like you and every other human alive. Unlike the democratic party who claims to be for the minority (but their record heavily refutes this), I will give any person who truly needs help, help. I married a minority girl 35 years ago (she is Hispanic) and have seen the evils of prejudice first hand. However, I have also seen my wife and my children and others in her family throw off the veil of self imposed prejudicial bondage and move ahead. They love our country and do not view themselves any different than I view myself as a citizen of this country. Your lovely wife so disappointed people like me during this campaign when she stated it was the first time she had ever been proud of this country. She apparently never noticed the massive aid we give dozens of other countries. She apparently never noticed the sacrifice of literally millions of veterans who helped make this country a free nation and helped liberate other nations from brutal dictators such as Adolf Hitler. She apparently does not remember that she attended ivy league universities with scholarship money that ultimately (at least some of it) was paid for by our taxes. This troubles me more than you know. She is an angry black woman who appears to not like her country very much. I don't want her representing me to the rest of the world."
Mr. Gregg, your gratuitous reference to race is sickening, and trying to use the fact that your wife is Hispanic shows an even deeper underlying prospect that you still view humanity according to race and creed than by merit.
Shame on you!
"3. You claim Christianity but apparently do not realize that the Bible teaches that he who does not work, does not eat. The Bible does not say or even suggest that he who CANNOT work, should not eat. Yet, your liberal policies reward people who are capable of working, but choose to not do so. This bothers me. I know that if you are elected our taxes will spiral upwards. You should heed the words of Winston Churchill: We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. If I like anything about you, it is your campaign promise to balance the federal budget.
"
Your above statement is convoluted and is a mere play on words you obviously cannot decipher for yourself.... let me show you why... you say....
"the Bible teaches that he who does not work, does not eat. The Bible does not say or even suggest that he who CANNOT work, should not eat."
Since when or where did you get the impression that Obama's policies would forbid those that CANNOT work to eat?
"Yet, your liberal policies reward people who are capable of working, but choose to not do so. This bothers me."
Mr Gregg, since when did the Constitution require someone to follow your laws and indoctrination of Christianity? And since you are one to claim Christianity, who are you to judge who is and is not capable of working? Since when have you become a medical doctor?
"Unfortunately, we have heard this a huge number of times from a number of different politicians and we realize that when you energize the very liberal Nancy Pelosi, Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, etc, etc, and the many other democrats like them, a balanced budget will never, ever happen on your watch."
Speaking of liberal Democrats, under the Clinton administration, The US was privy to a balanced budget, something we have not seen in the previous 8 years.
Now, don't go pulling the Oval office blow job story on me, NO ONE DIED WHEN CLINTON LIED. 4,189 men and women have died in search of your neo-con lies about weapons of mass destruction theory. Let me know when they come across those. Until then don't make my best friend say "so long" to her husband when he leaves for his 5th tour overseas.
"4. During your question and answer session with Rick Warren of Saddleback Church your answer concerning the question of where does life begin, stunned me ....Above your pay grade? Does this mean when something bad happens as President of this nation that you are going to look at your salary to determine if you can respond? I am sorry, but this was the most serious gaffe I have seen you make. Frankly, it shows me that you are pandering in the most obvious manner. You will choose your words not from your heart, but from an agenda that I believe is still hidden from the American people."
How many times must I stress that religion is not an issue when it comes to the qualifications of a president? MOST of the founding fathers WERE NOT CHRISTIAN! Wake up people! There is a reason why there is an Article calling for the separation of church and state!
"5. If anything stands out about you it is probably your appeasement mentality. In this era of rampant, radical Islamic extremism and with the latest stunt pulled by the re-energized Russian government, I am not sure appeasement is healthy. I again revert to the words of Winston Churchill ;An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."
OH MY GODS!!!! Are you for real? The vast majority of politicians are appeasers, as was the beloved Winston Churchill. Those words may seem profound, but they still appease people. Barack Obama is a Christian. He would be sworn in on the Christian Bible. But again, Separation of Church and State. He should be sworn in on the Constitution.
"6. You and your party tacitly believe that a 13 or 14 year old girl must have the parents approval to have the school nurse provide them with a Tylenol when they have a headache at school. Yet, this same girl can become pregnant and the school can skirt her off to a clinic and abort the child in her body without the parents knowing or being notified. This scares the hell out of me. You have two little girls. Would you be upset if this happened to them and you were not informed? Then why do you stand for this? It makes no sense to me."
If the religious right had not blocked the proper sexual education, the children of this country might not seek sexual gratification as means to rebel against their society. You quote your God, but didn't your God also say that it was IMMORAL to have sex before MARRIAGE? Mrs. Palin, I do believe your daughter is going to hell.
"7. My seventh and final point (for now) is your supporters. I have watched the Hollywood entertainers that support you, systematically embrace Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and others like him. I see the continuous smut and garbage produced by Hollywood , the very people who promote you the most vigorously. It is not a positive point to me and others like me to see these over-paid, bizarre, poor examples of human existence fawn over you and push you and your liberal agenda as hard as they do. The way I see it; When the devil is for you, we should question whether or not we should be against you.
In closing, I just want you to know that you scare me. I cannot vote for you. It is not because of your skin color. It is because these items I've listed and many, many others like them. Do not claim that my dislike for you is race based. It is because I do not feel you have the best interests of this nation at heart.
Respectfully,
Mark A.
Gregg "
Mr Gregg, I'm glad that you have finally stopped your constant whining of race and religion. You have gone as far as to battle against those who stand on your own religious ground. Imagine me, a Pagan standing up for a Christian man?!? when you yourself as a Christian have not the balls to do so. Truth is Mr. Gregg, you yourself are smut and you propagate hate, deception, and lies. What is even sadder is that there are those who will read this ridiculous letter and find merit in it because they are too lazy to look up the facts for themselves. They in turn will repost this nonsense as if it were the gospel itself.
I think I might even go as far as to say that Mr. Gregg doesn't exist, he is just another piece of conservative propaganda. It's easy to pass this kind of crap along when you are hiding behind the screens of the internet, but folks, do me a favor....
Before you cast your ballot on Tuesday, look up FACTS. Look at the actual texts of the tax plans, look at voting records, and DO NOT trust the main stream media... it's been proven that they are just as evil as your so called Devil. Look at actual legislation and visit the Congress' website to get voting records. Vote for your candidate because you believe in what they stand for. Remember what our Constitution stands for.
Remember that at the very core of every being, we all desire the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness REGARDLESS of sex, color, creed, or religion, and the Constitution guarantee's us that!
Sincerely,
Jodi Criser
P.S. Mr. Gregg, during the first paragraph you said that your reasons may be shallow.... well, you were right about that one!
My name is Jodi. I have read your letter with earnest thought and as a white single female I feel that it is very necessary for me to respond to your letter.
"Dear Mr.Obama,
It is August 30, 2008. My name is Mark Gregg. I am a 50 something conservative white male. I have followed your campaign closely, including the speeches you and others made at the democratic national convention. I am respectfully providing you with seven simple (probably shallow) reasons why I could never vote for you. I believe my opinion is shared by many people. While there may not be quite enough to prevent you from becoming president of this nation, I do think there is an awakening to the fact that you are not a (the) messiah that the media and liberal Hollywood entertainers are trying to portray you."
Mr Gregg, in the very first paragraph of your letter you have already pointed out that you are of a different race, party, and religion. None of which are suppose to determine the qualifications of a president.
I don't care if a person qualified for the presidency were black, white, latino, asian, or any other race. I do not care if you are white Mr Gregg, why do you set yourself apart as a white man? Sounds racist to me. Why do you proclaim your political party other than to note that it is of difference? Don't we all want the same things at the very core of ourselves; which is the pursuit of life, love, and happiness? And to reference Mr. Obama as a(the) "messiah" is ridiculous. You're a Christian, you should know that there is no other Messiah as your religion proclaims.
"1. I hear your mantra of change, change, change. Yet, you picked a long term, liberal, Washington insider (Joe Biden) to be your running mate. This is NOT change. It is a move that hypocritically refutes the very thing you supposedly stand for. Your campaign then slammed McCain for picking Sarah Palin, apparently, because she is NOT a Washington insider. She is a maverick who cleaned-up Alaska's quagmire of political scandals.
Which way is it, Barack? Is it okay for you to pick a Washington insider under the mantra of change, but not okay for John McCain to pick a smart, aggressive, reformer?"
The definition of Maverick... for those of you who don't know what it is:
"A lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates"
It has been PROVEN that Sarah Palin had the boss of her sister's ex-husband fired because he refused to fire the ex husband. After the investigation a reporter asked her about the allegations of said abuse of power and her response? "I was glad to be cleared of any wrong doing." Are you kidding me Mr. Gregg? Do some research outside of what your neo-con friends are spewing at you.
It's not hard and only takes some time!
It has been proven that Palin has exploited her power as Governor as Alaska so that her children would travel for free (and unexpectedly) to different events on the tax payers dollar.
Yes, Sarah Palin sounds like a MAVERICK to me!!
While I may seem a bit of a "Maverick" myself when it comes to animal rights, offering $147 for the severed leg of a wolf is sickening. Trying to legally refute the listing of Beluga whales on the endangered species list is just as bad. Mrs.
Palin, there are only 400 Beluga whales alive, how endangered does a species have to be before they are considered endanger?
Sarah's Palin's experience in foreign policy is "You betcha! I can see Russia from this island in Alaska". She proclaims that she has worked with Russia in trade agreements, but ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION states are not able to enter trade agreements with foreign countries. Has Ms. Palin not taken an introductory political science class? And if you believe her.... have not you???
"2. You have the single most liberal voting record in the senate. This indicates to me and others like me that you may very well be an angry black man seeking to punish our country for sins of a different generation. I am not racist. I have some biases just like you and every other human alive. Unlike the democratic party who claims to be for the minority (but their record heavily refutes this), I will give any person who truly needs help, help. I married a minority girl 35 years ago (she is Hispanic) and have seen the evils of prejudice first hand. However, I have also seen my wife and my children and others in her family throw off the veil of self imposed prejudicial bondage and move ahead. They love our country and do not view themselves any different than I view myself as a citizen of this country. Your lovely wife so disappointed people like me during this campaign when she stated it was the first time she had ever been proud of this country. She apparently never noticed the massive aid we give dozens of other countries. She apparently never noticed the sacrifice of literally millions of veterans who helped make this country a free nation and helped liberate other nations from brutal dictators such as Adolf Hitler. She apparently does not remember that she attended ivy league universities with scholarship money that ultimately (at least some of it) was paid for by our taxes. This troubles me more than you know. She is an angry black woman who appears to not like her country very much. I don't want her representing me to the rest of the world."
Mr. Gregg, your gratuitous reference to race is sickening, and trying to use the fact that your wife is Hispanic shows an even deeper underlying prospect that you still view humanity according to race and creed than by merit.
Shame on you!
"3. You claim Christianity but apparently do not realize that the Bible teaches that he who does not work, does not eat. The Bible does not say or even suggest that he who CANNOT work, should not eat. Yet, your liberal policies reward people who are capable of working, but choose to not do so. This bothers me. I know that if you are elected our taxes will spiral upwards. You should heed the words of Winston Churchill: We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. If I like anything about you, it is your campaign promise to balance the federal budget.
"
Your above statement is convoluted and is a mere play on words you obviously cannot decipher for yourself.... let me show you why... you say....
"the Bible teaches that he who does not work, does not eat. The Bible does not say or even suggest that he who CANNOT work, should not eat."
Since when or where did you get the impression that Obama's policies would forbid those that CANNOT work to eat?
"Yet, your liberal policies reward people who are capable of working, but choose to not do so. This bothers me."
Mr Gregg, since when did the Constitution require someone to follow your laws and indoctrination of Christianity? And since you are one to claim Christianity, who are you to judge who is and is not capable of working? Since when have you become a medical doctor?
"Unfortunately, we have heard this a huge number of times from a number of different politicians and we realize that when you energize the very liberal Nancy Pelosi, Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, etc, etc, and the many other democrats like them, a balanced budget will never, ever happen on your watch."
Speaking of liberal Democrats, under the Clinton administration, The US was privy to a balanced budget, something we have not seen in the previous 8 years.
Now, don't go pulling the Oval office blow job story on me, NO ONE DIED WHEN CLINTON LIED. 4,189 men and women have died in search of your neo-con lies about weapons of mass destruction theory. Let me know when they come across those. Until then don't make my best friend say "so long" to her husband when he leaves for his 5th tour overseas.
"4. During your question and answer session with Rick Warren of Saddleback Church your answer concerning the question of where does life begin, stunned me ....Above your pay grade? Does this mean when something bad happens as President of this nation that you are going to look at your salary to determine if you can respond? I am sorry, but this was the most serious gaffe I have seen you make. Frankly, it shows me that you are pandering in the most obvious manner. You will choose your words not from your heart, but from an agenda that I believe is still hidden from the American people."
How many times must I stress that religion is not an issue when it comes to the qualifications of a president? MOST of the founding fathers WERE NOT CHRISTIAN! Wake up people! There is a reason why there is an Article calling for the separation of church and state!
"5. If anything stands out about you it is probably your appeasement mentality. In this era of rampant, radical Islamic extremism and with the latest stunt pulled by the re-energized Russian government, I am not sure appeasement is healthy. I again revert to the words of Winston Churchill ;An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."
OH MY GODS!!!! Are you for real? The vast majority of politicians are appeasers, as was the beloved Winston Churchill. Those words may seem profound, but they still appease people. Barack Obama is a Christian. He would be sworn in on the Christian Bible. But again, Separation of Church and State. He should be sworn in on the Constitution.
"6. You and your party tacitly believe that a 13 or 14 year old girl must have the parents approval to have the school nurse provide them with a Tylenol when they have a headache at school. Yet, this same girl can become pregnant and the school can skirt her off to a clinic and abort the child in her body without the parents knowing or being notified. This scares the hell out of me. You have two little girls. Would you be upset if this happened to them and you were not informed? Then why do you stand for this? It makes no sense to me."
If the religious right had not blocked the proper sexual education, the children of this country might not seek sexual gratification as means to rebel against their society. You quote your God, but didn't your God also say that it was IMMORAL to have sex before MARRIAGE? Mrs. Palin, I do believe your daughter is going to hell.
"7. My seventh and final point (for now) is your supporters. I have watched the Hollywood entertainers that support you, systematically embrace Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and others like him. I see the continuous smut and garbage produced by Hollywood , the very people who promote you the most vigorously. It is not a positive point to me and others like me to see these over-paid, bizarre, poor examples of human existence fawn over you and push you and your liberal agenda as hard as they do. The way I see it; When the devil is for you, we should question whether or not we should be against you.
In closing, I just want you to know that you scare me. I cannot vote for you. It is not because of your skin color. It is because these items I've listed and many, many others like them. Do not claim that my dislike for you is race based. It is because I do not feel you have the best interests of this nation at heart.
Respectfully,
Mark A.
Gregg "
Mr Gregg, I'm glad that you have finally stopped your constant whining of race and religion. You have gone as far as to battle against those who stand on your own religious ground. Imagine me, a Pagan standing up for a Christian man?!? when you yourself as a Christian have not the balls to do so. Truth is Mr. Gregg, you yourself are smut and you propagate hate, deception, and lies. What is even sadder is that there are those who will read this ridiculous letter and find merit in it because they are too lazy to look up the facts for themselves. They in turn will repost this nonsense as if it were the gospel itself.
I think I might even go as far as to say that Mr. Gregg doesn't exist, he is just another piece of conservative propaganda. It's easy to pass this kind of crap along when you are hiding behind the screens of the internet, but folks, do me a favor....
Before you cast your ballot on Tuesday, look up FACTS. Look at the actual texts of the tax plans, look at voting records, and DO NOT trust the main stream media... it's been proven that they are just as evil as your so called Devil. Look at actual legislation and visit the Congress' website to get voting records. Vote for your candidate because you believe in what they stand for. Remember what our Constitution stands for.
Remember that at the very core of every being, we all desire the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness REGARDLESS of sex, color, creed, or religion, and the Constitution guarantee's us that!
Sincerely,
Jodi Criser
P.S. Mr. Gregg, during the first paragraph you said that your reasons may be shallow.... well, you were right about that one!
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