 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
EYES ON ARKANSAS
Arkansas Journal Sep 1999Arkansas Journal Sep 1999 IIArkansas Journal Oct 1999Arkansas Journal Nov 1999Arkansas Journal Dec 1999Arkansas Journal Jan 2000Arkansas Journal Feb 2000THE CUMMINS UNIT
A Wife Tours CumminsTHE VARNER UNIT
A Tour of VarnerDARK AND EVIL THINGS
Things That Go BumpCause of Death Brain TumorBlame the InmateHow to Cover ADC ButtsAre You In A Hurry BoyMEDICAL NEGLECT
Emergency OnlyTo Read A Book Would Be HeavenLook Out BelowWillards Great BattleCRIMINAL ACTS OF ADC STAFF
The Death of Eddie BagbyPepper Spray AssaultARKANSAS STATE MEDICAL BOARD
The Infamous Dr YoungThe Infamous Dr Young IIDARK AND EVIL MONSTERS
Dark and Evil MonstersDark and Evil ADC DirectorSECURITY MATTERS
ADC Security 101Escaped Murderer Kills 2 MoreEscaped Murderer Part IIRolf to Huckabee on SecurityTALES FROM HELL
Food FightPoison FoodMATTERS OF PISS & DEFECATION
Number 10 DefecationIn the BushesNo One In the BuildingFeces AnyoneARKANSAS JUSTICE
Kids Cops and Confessions 1Kids Cops and Confessions 2Arkansas Private PrisonsWest Memphis 3Ron Fields A Long Way to FallARKANSAS HEROES
Arkansas HeroesFather Franz and Deacon KingKelly DudaMara LeverittDARK & EVIL LAW ENFORCEMENT
Victim of Murdered FriendsEDITORIALS
Hey TurkeysAn Eye for an Eye Part IAn Eye for an Eye ContinuedNecessary ChangesMCI Rapes Inmates FamiliesArkansas Prison Phone HistoryBlueprint of a ConspiracyThe Conspiracy of CompromiseLinksILLEGAL SENTENCING & CLEMENCY
Foreword to Legal DiscussionsApparent Illegalities Part 1Apparent Illegalities Part 2Apparent Illegalities Part 3Apparent Illegalities Part 4Apparent Illegalities Part 5DEATH QUALIFIED JURIES
Death Qualified Juries Part 1Death Qualified Juries Part 2Death Qualified Juries Part 3Death Qualified Juries Part 4Death Qualified Juries Part 5THE EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY CARROT
The Clemency Carrot Part IThe Clemency Carrot Part IIThe Clemency Carrot Part IIIThe Clemency Carrot Part IVThe Clemency Carrot Part VThe Clemency Carrot Part VIUpdateVERSE
LeviathanThe Hedonistic HourThe Fall Paradigm|
|
| HEY, TURKEYS |
 |
| ||||||
| As untold numbers of us who have been trying to obtain it for the past couple of decades or more know, executive clemency is a disappointing, dragged out, and relatively useless process. In case some of you haven't noticed, it doesn't seem to matter what the merits of our individual cases really are. From my own experience, and from talking to scores and scores of guys about it for a bunch of years now, I've drawn the conclusion that most of us who apply for clemency nowadays really no longer suffer from the illusion that it will be granted. We've come to accept that unless some fluke happens - like with the Senator Jerry Jewel affair - there's not much sense in getting our hopes up. Anyway, I'm not writing this to rehash an issue about which most of us came to our own private conclusions long ago. What really needs saying isn't likely to be printed anywhere, anyway; and even if it was, the general public has been so manipulated with anti-crime fear and hate propaganda that no more than a handful would care about any injustices we might point out to them about our sentences, or the perverse clemency situation. Heck, most of them would not only not care, they'd applaud it all. Personally, I've learned simply to have a little more dignity about it and to keep my own private thoughts and counsel when it comes to the relentless condemning of people in prison, or anywhere for that matter, and I really do suggest that some of you do the same. On Thanksgiving Day (most appropriately), I was listening to the radio and wondering if they were going to say something nice, or positive, or constructive, or wonderful on the news instead of painting graphic pictures of every car wreck, plane crash, house fire, power outage, or sensationalist crime they could dig up for the day. I was about to give them up on that when suddenly they had a by-line story about clemency. "Hey! All Right! Somebody finally made it again! About time!", I spontaneously thought. Then, the President of the United States, Mr. Zippergate himself, came on the airwaves saying, (paraphrased), "By the power vested in me by the Constitution of the United States of America and the People, I hereby grant a full and unconditional reprieve to this turkey, so that it might live out the remainder of its days in peace and to a ripe old age." Sorry, I was too surprised to write down the exact words, but that's pretty close. Yeah, you read right, I said t-u-r-k-e-y, as in the family meleagris gallopavo - a bird with brownish and iridescent feathers and bald head and neck, and which goes "gobble, gobble, gobble!" Most of us have only seen them naked, upside down, stuffed and headless, or in quarter inch slices. Anyway, after I listened to this solemn Presidential ritual for the holiday bird, it kind of made me feel empathy with the little guy (the fortunate bird, not the President), and a little kinship. It was especially close to home because the President used to be Governor here, of course, and he had sent hundreds of us more local turkeys two or three of those pre-fab clemency denial letters across the years. For a long time I had wondered what could have been going on in the Governor's Office to cause him to deny clemency to so many deserving men and women. However, with buds like Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, and Monica Lewinsky to open the flowers of, I think that question has been fairly answered. Patience does have its virtue, even if nothing else does. Thinking about it now in retrospect, the grant of clemency to a turkey, not the Prez's fetishes, I guess we just weren't turkey enough, somehow. Kinda like ol' Charlie the Tuna, remember? He couldn't get into a can of tuna for anything in the world, and we can't get out of this can of sardines for anything in the world! It's kind of humorous, actually, don't you think? I must admit that I never envisioned a time when I'd be contemplating the life and times of a cartoon fish named Charlie, but neither did I ever think I'd feel kinship with a turkey! Goes to show you, life takes some strange turns. Yep, granting clemency to a turkey is just the natural progression of the modern era. And, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I've got to say about that."  Tell the Governor of Arkansas what you think  Explore Arkansas' River of Blood Follow the Blood Trail Read stories of everyday life at the Cummins Unit Meet Rolf Kaestel, read his Executive Clemency appeal and raise your voice to free him from the ADC These are the men and women currently residing on Arkansas' Death Row View the artistic works of men and women incarcerated in the Dark and Evil World View text of Miscellaneous Lawsuits and Court Decisions View the Arkansas Constitution |
 Sign Guestbook |
 View Guestbook |
| WASHINGTON |
|
. |
| Visitors: 02574 |