~ The Table And The Tree ~

I’ll start by saying, Happy Holidays to everyone!

As the aromas fill the house, and everyone is lost in their back and forth, lost in conversations, as many are just catching um, and of course, there are those who are glued to the TV screens, as a “fully inflated” football flies though the air, and  many miss it !!! Many of those there aren’t noticing the one that’s soaking it all up, more so than others. See, he hasn’t experienced this for a while. 30 years to be exact. The state of Alabama had stripped this innocent man of his freedom, placed him on death row, and had every intention of murdering him. No more Thanksgiving! No more Christmas! No more family togetherness!

The house is beautifully illuminated, by strings and strings of differently colored lights. There’s a chill in the night air, but inside it’s nice and warm. There’s a tree on the inside. It’s beautifully illuminated by strings of colored lights as well. It seems to serve as a safe haven for many multi-shaped boxes, wrapped in colored paper. There’s candy, fruits, nuts and food scattered all about. The older family members watch, as the little ones breach the safe haven, and destroy the colored wrappings, along with the boxes inside to get to the present it contained. He watches, with a smile on his face, tears in his eyes, and warmth in his heart, because he gets just how amazing it truly is for him to be a part of this. 15 years, the state of Alabama stole from him. Sent him to death row, and planned to murder him. No apologies afterwards. No presents bought!

Still, it’s the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas, and both are home with their families … Anthony Ray Hinton, and William Ziegler. Set another couple plates at the tables, and put a few extra presents under those trees. Hope is alive and well!

Happy Holidays to Everyone

Be Blessed

Anthony Boyd N-9

~ Just Rambling ~

Racism runs rampant in police departments. Young black males labeled the enemy … and targeted!

Systematic genocide, and they have the law on their side.

Hiding behind their badges, while they plant hide and fabricate evidence … nonsense!

Screaming … “Go back to Africa!”

This is now home … land of the you, not me and home of the incarcerated.

Lost in the complexities of trials and tribulation.

Shot in the back eight times as he fled, “I felt threatened”

NOT guilty!! A jury of his peers.

Why is there an “N” in justice?! The unspeakable word. What happened to justice for all? Lady Justice is supposed to be blind, but the “hoods” have eyes! Reaping for the complexion of skin, and the financial capabilities of a bank account.

Ghost of the past still rearing their ugly heads in a society that’s supposed to be more modern. Defined by my ancestors, and our tone of skin …

Equals!!! When?? Justice, never!!!

None of my forefathers sat at the founding table, but the foundation was built off their backs. Still, we’re the ones they attack.

A country lost, handing out advice, the blind leading … that just isn’t right!!

Distraction, and manipulation – don’t look in our closet … we have skeletons.

We’ll lead, you just follow …

Our empty promises, false guarantees, despicable racism, and shameful injustices.

Pledge allegiance to the “League of the South”, the hoods have eyes!!!

Be mindful, be active, be blessed!
Thank you,
Anthony Boyd

–  Poster-Children  — 

As the debate about the death penalty rages on, proponents for it have begun to let their façade of it being about justice slip more and more. In logical conversations and heated debates, the conclusion is coming down to just what the death penalty is truly about, REVENGE!!

There are numerous examples of this some more glaring than others. However, to find the “poster-children” for why the death penalty needs to be stopped immediately, one only has to look to Oklahoma and Texas.

The State of Oklahoma tortured Clayton Lockett to death. They did not execute him … they poked, and prodded a human being with the intentions of finding some place – an  place on his bod to pump in their killer poison, but they failed miserably! What they did manage to accomplish, was a human being writhing, and gasping in pain. Then, after his great state finished torturing a human being to death, one of Oklahoma’s representatives let the justice façade slip, by making the statement … “I don’t care if they’re feed to lions.” Justice, or revenge?

Gov. Rick Perry, of the great State of Texas, has also done his part to help the façade of the death penalty being about justice slip greatly. Gov. Perry, actually called a press conference after Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington State ordered a moratorium, to let the residents of Washington State know that, the death penalty is alive and well, and thriving in Texas. He actually said, thriving! He invited all who were not happy about the moratorium to move to Texas, where no one would ever take their death penalty from them. He could’ve tried to lure those citizens with promises of a better economy in Texas, or a better nightlife in Texas, but he chose to try to lure people to his state with the promise that, “they will kill in Texas, and no one can stop them”! Is that justice or revenge?

Listen to the poster-children of abolition, and let’s end capital punishment. Revenge has no place in the justice system.

Be strong, be heard, and be blessed,
Anthony Boyd

Really, Alabama??? 

On April 29th, 2014 … Oklahoma courts cleared the way for a man to be tortured in its „execution chamber“, until his heart just could not stand the 42 minutes of pure hell his body was subjected to, and in the 43rd minute, it gave out … releasing him from his suffering.

How did the Oklahoma courts clear the way for such a horrid injustice? Well, they allowed Clayton Lockett’s “attempted” execution to proceed under the cloud of secrecy that’s surrounding the drugs being procured for their state sanctioned murders. So, they can actually say whatever they want to, about the drugs they used, but no one knows where those drugs came from, and God only knows, what they really used to torture Clayton Lockett to death. Hmmmm … Mexican cartels are building tunnels into the U.S. every day.

Now, the people in charge of the “think tank” in Alabama have come up with the perfect solution to get its secrecy bill passed. They’re going to put the bill up for legislation again in the next session, but this time, the hill will have some magic words in the fine print. I can’t tell you exactly what those words will be, because I’ve never owned any magic words, nor magic beans for that matter. However, Sen. Cam Ward of the great country of Alabama has stated that, the providers of the death drugs would remain a secret “for their protection”, but should be something go wrong (and here comes the magic words à), the amendment to the bill, would leave those “drug dealers” liable. Liable to who? Really, Alabama? Really, Sen. Cam Ward? So, who’s liable for the drugs used in Eddie Powell’s botched execution? Oh, you didn’t mean then? Oh, you mean when the next botched execution happens?! Really, Alabama? On the heels of a man being tortured to death, for 43 minutes, you come up with the idea that, when it does happen to your state, you’ll tell on who you got the drugs from, so they will be liable, and their protection be damned!! 

Really, Alabama??

Anthony Boyd

~ LOST IN THE SHUFFLE ~

My, My, My – I just read an article in the Anniston Star newspaper, speak-out section, entitled “Justification of the death penalty”, written by Charles Smith of Weaver, Alabama. In his article Mr. Smith was responding to an article written by Margit Suesser (Execution Secrets) in the very same speak-out section of the Anniston Star, April 4^th 2014, and he was making it very clear that, he did not agree at all with Miss Suesser. Also, in the process, he made it very clear that, he’s a man filled with hate, and anger, and both blinds him to the fact, he’s missing the big picture in why he’s so adamantly for the death penalty. He said, he “could care less if a person ever gets the right to know what drug will be used to kill him/her.” He “believes in an eye for an eye.” Well, while Mr. Smith was spewing venom, and calling death row inmates monsters … he never said anything about raping the rapists, molesting the molesters, robbing the robbers, or going to the homes of burglars to burglarize them. He did say that, he believes in an eye for an eye!

Mr. Smith also pointed out that, he “finds it barbaric that a law lets these monsters live for years before getting what they deserve, if at all.” What Mr. Smith failed to mention, however, is the long list of innocent people who would have been executed hat he had his way … giving them something they didn’t deserve. Also, they were sent to prison for something they didn’t do, Mr. Smith. So what do you think they deserve for that? Mr. Smith??

Here’s where Mr. Smith, like so many others, allow the victims to get lost in the shuffle, the shuffle of political greed, and revenge. Mr. Smith stated that, “it also saddens him that, the people who coddle these monsters rarely think about the victims, who had no say whatsoever in the way they died, or why.” No, the victims didn’t have any say whatsoever in the way they died, or why, but they did have a say in how they lived. My heart goes out to all victims of crime … from the smallest theft to murder. Here’s the thing though, how can Mr. Charles Smith of Weaver, Alabama seek what he calls justice by execution in the names of people he never met, and would not/could not know what their wishes would’ve been? Not all victims of murder lived their lives supporting the death penalty. Some were against it, and some even fought against it. So, wouldn’t it be going against their wishes and beliefs to have someone executed in their name? Or, would you just ignore those people’s beliefs to justify your own, Mr. Smith?

Then, he said to Miss Suesser, “Think about all of this if one of your loved ones should ever have the misfortune to be a victim to one of them.” Well, that thought can be flipped around, Mr. Smith. Think about all of this if one of your loved ones should ever have the misfortune to be accused of capital murder. Who’ll get lost in that shuffle?!

Anthony Boyd

Guarantees

It’s been said, many times over that, ”the only guarantees in life are death, and taxes“ … and ”there are no guarantees in life“.

Two very contradictory statements. Now, I have some very real, very true statements for you, and they’re guarantees, without the contradiction.

“No human being that walks the earth is perfect.”

“We’ve all made, and continue to make mistakes.”

“No system, made by man, is perfect”.

Whether we know it or not, or want to admit it or not, we’ve all broken the law. Some more serious than others, but still, we’ve all done it. From the simple jay walking, to laws deep down in the legal books. Just because we don’t know they’re there, doesn’t mean we didn’t break them. It’s said that, “Ignorance, is no excuse, in the eyes of the law.” So, I add here, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

Seeing that, no man made system is perfect, and that’s due to the fact, no human being is perfect … please , tell me then, how can politicians guarantee no innocent person(s) has ever been executed. Sounds contradictory to me … and, it should to you the reader as well. Thousands of men, and women have been executed, and the powers that be, want the world to think, and believe that, they’ve gotten it right every time. Here’s a question for you … How many of you, have gotten things right every time? How many people do you know, who have gotten it right every time? Statistically, that’s impossible!!!

Yet, society continues to allow this barbaric farce on justice, where the powers that be, kill their own citizens, to prove that killing is wrong. Sounds contradictory to me. How does it sound to you?!

Now, will you raise your voice(s) to the politicians and let them know that, you want the killing in your name to stop, or will you continue to accept their “guarantees”?

Thank you for your time.

Be safe, be strong, be blessed.

Anthony Boyd