Death.

This isn't going to be a long post, no one likes to be preached to, this is just what happened with my own discoveries.

I never really gave the death penalty much thought until a few years ago. Once DNA actually meant something.

I used to think that if people were convicted for something bad - then they should be put to death to soothe the injured parties and to save the tax payers' money.

Well, I changed my mind. I realized that "something bad" is not the same for everyone. I realized that another's death may not ease the heart of the wounded. I realized that it didn't save any money. I realized that it is not right to kill someone. And the real clincher? ? ?

. . . I realized that people could be falsely convicted . . .

There is no room for error when death is the punishment and humans are not perfect.

Tonight I went to a protest/march/speech taking place at Columbia University. Many were there to support the freeing of Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Others were there to admonish John Ashcroft who was at the college to give a speech on... something. (I would have heard it but they did not allow my bag in the auditorium and I had no where to store it.)

Williams was not granted a stay from the courts, however he "plans to make a compelling case before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger or his staff at a December 8 clemency hearing to commute Williams' sentence to life in prison without parole."

Spend some time and learn about this. This is something that can be changed.

And now - here are my photos of The Man himself, John Aschcroft, everyone... and me being a paparazzi...





I found the obvious side door that he would go to and hung out there. Soon other kids from Columbia started hangin' out there too. I snapped away. They snapped. He shook hands. Then the boo-ing started... and it actually caught him by surprise. I think he thought he was in safe ground after seeing the happy cops... and photographers don't usually "boo", I guess...

Thanks Fancy Robot for the information.



P.S. - I got Apple's Aperture... it's awesome.
P.P.S. - I'm a little bit of a geek.