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BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution)
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Subject: Singing Troy Davis's spirit home From: Genie Date: 21 Sep 11 - 11:13 PM Choose your own song. This is a miscarriage of justice. But at least we can sing Troy Davis's spirit home. |
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Subject: RE: Singing Troy Davis's spirit home From: GUEST,ChanteyLass Date: 22 Sep 11 - 01:17 AM Thank you, Genie. I had been posting links to petitions from different organizations on Facebook. Just a few days ago I wondered if I should have started a thread about this on Mudcat's BS section to post links to those petitions. I did not recall seeing a thread about this but did not search for one. This afternoon I called 4 phone numbers in Georgia to plead for no execution. Of course I could not get through but thought that was a good sign because other people must have been tying up the phone lines. Troy was declared dead at 11:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time (US), and I am in mourning. I will try to sing. My love goes out to his spirit and his family. |
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Subject: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: Desert Dancer Date: 22 Sep 11 - 11:38 AM Songs For Troy Davis: Why Musicians Take On Death Row - an essay on NPR, with links to 3 YouTubes of songs. exerpted: "As Davis' situation became front-page news, I received notice of three very different songs about him: a hip-hop track by Jasiri X, "I Am Troy Davis," built around the slogan favored by Davis' supporters; the bluesy "Song for Troy Davis" by Nellie McKay and "State of Georgia," by the alternative rock band State Radio. These songs all advocate for Davis, but in different ways: The rap track samples the convict's own voice to encourage identification with his position. McKay's torchy ballad presents her as a lover, waiting for her man to be freed, connecting with historic voices of artists like Billie Holiday. State Radio's song offers vehement protest in the U2 tradition: It's a call to the streets." ... "It's not often that such stylistically divergent artists are drawn to the same topic at the same moment. Each got there a different way: State Radio, whose music is rooted in leftist activism, learned about Davis through its relationship with Amnesty International and has been addressing his situation in songs since 2009. Nellie McKay was spurred to write by a sense of urgency surrounding Davis' impending execution date. Jasiri X, like State Radio, often writes on political themes: One thing that's made his track, "I Am Troy Davis (T.R.O.Y.)," a favorite on hip-hop blogs is its deft use of a sample of the inmate's own recorded voice (another is its reliance on the beat from a classic track about family and the death of a friend by Pete Rock and CL Smooth, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"). Many other artists, from the Indigo Girls to Harry Belafonte and Big Boi, have lent their names to Davis' cause. But it was the range of these few musical responses that caught my ear." ... "Prison stories abound with the qualities that make up a good ballad. Focused on complex protagonists, with a vivid setting and a narrative arc that may lead to the ultimate happy or sad ending — freedom or execution — accounts of famous trials and their outcomes have inspired songwriters for centuries. Once they were just one aspect of the broadside tradition that made music of the news. But these days, we don't hear that many tales of soldiers or adventurers or even conventional murder ballads recounting the transgressions that land people in jail. It sometimes seems that prison has become the primary site of topical song. For some reason, its fascinations haven't faded." I recommend the whole article. ~ Becky in Tucson |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: Cool Beans Date: 22 Sep 11 - 11:43 AM Thanks, Becky. My daughter was at the demonstration outside the prison last night. |
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Subject: BS: Troy Davis? From: Paul Burke Date: 22 Sep 11 - 12:52 PM I know it's an internal US matter, but has nobody over there got ANYTHING to say? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: GUEST,saulgoldie Date: 22 Sep 11 - 01:11 PM I find it horrible. But I have always been an opponent to the death penalty. It is inhumane, and the possibility for mistakes is huge. It is a colossal crime for the state to execute an innocent person. Saul |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: katlaughing Date: 22 Sep 11 - 01:19 PM Thank you for starting this thread, Paul. There were a lot of us at change.org who did our best. I feel deeply saddened and disgusted that Georgia killed him. Today's email from change.org follows: The state of Georgia killed Troy Davis tonight. Despite so much doubt about Troy Davis's guilt -- including seven witnesses who changed or recanted their testimony, and three jurors who convicted Troy who later asked that his life be spared -- Georgia's parole board decided he should die. And so tonight at 11:08 Eastern Time, he was killed by lethal injection. His sister, Kim Davis, wanted to tell you what her brother said before he died: "When Troy saw that more than 250,000 Change.org members signed a petition that was delivered to the board in his name, he called to tell me he was deeply moved. He told me he knew that he had supporters around the world, but he had no idea that the support was that widespread." Kim has said that she'll keep fighting, for the next Troy Davis and the one after that. And she knows so many of us will join her in this fight. Troy Davis was not alone when he died. Thank you for standing with him. - Patrick and the entire Change.org team P.S. Troy's case has brought international attention to deep, long-existing flaws in our criminal justice system. If you're interested in becoming more involved in advocacy around the death penalty, visit Amnesty International, The Innocence Project, or the NAACP. You can also start your own campaign on this issue on Change.org. |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: foggers Date: 22 Sep 11 - 02:07 PM Over here in UK I am an Amnesty International member; could not believe it when I heard the BBC news report that Troy had been executed today. Just speechless with rage.... |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: alanabit Date: 22 Sep 11 - 03:31 PM I do not know enough about the details of this case, but on the surface of it, there seemed at least to be "reasonable doubt". I like to think that it would not have happened in my country. That aside, I have no problem in saying that I dislike executions in general. China, Russia, Thailand, Burma, Iran and Saudi Arabia are all countries which still carry them out. There are certainly many Americans who do not like to line up alongside those regimes on this issue. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: alanabit Date: 22 Sep 11 - 03:39 PM It has probably brought the system, which carried it out, into disrepute. I do not know whether the man was innocent or guilty - but I am not yet convinced that anyone in the system did either. I do not think anyone comes out of this sordid affair with much credit - except perhaps for those who will inevitably reform the system. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Bobert Date: 22 Sep 11 - 03:41 PM Well, ya' don't go writing bad checks down in Mississippi And there ain't no good chain gang... It's a Southern thang ya'll... Used to do 'um back behind the corn fields... Cook up some chicken... Pick a little music and string up a darkie... Good clean fun, ya' hear... (((spit))) Now ya'll pointy headed northerners don't know nuthin' about havin' no fun so just stay up there and read them books an stuff and don't be messin' with us unless you want the rope yerseffs, ya' hear??? (((spit))) ______________________________________________________________________ Well, I am absolutely disgusted with the lack of morality in this country these days... We were making progress but the radical rednecks have taken control and are trying to take up back a 100 years... I mean, I was disgusted to hear all those Tea-necks cheer when Perry was asked about all the executions in his state... I wads disgusted to hear people yell "hang him" (Obama) at Palin rallies... I was disgusted to be threatened with 2nd amendment remedies for not agreeing with REDNECK NATION... I am disgusted that SC has just disenfranchised tens of thousands of black voters because they were born at a time when black people were born at home and were not issued "official" birth certificates... I mean, I could go on and on but... ...RIP, Troy Davis... I didn't know you but from the pictures that I've seen you looked very much a man of peace and Faith... More than I can say for most of my redneck neighbors, that much is for sure... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: catspaw49 Date: 22 Sep 11 - 03:59 PM I also signed that petition and sat watching MSNBC last night in hopes that we might do the sensible thing. We didn't. The victim's family may not have gotten the justice they so much desired if the wrong man was found guilty. Perhaps one day we will all know for sure but Troy Davis won't benefit from it. Hopefully someone else down the road will. Once again I love what America could be and I hate what it is. Feel free to disagree with me and then go fuck yourself. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Don Firth Date: 22 Sep 11 - 04:27 PM Paul, it's not that I don't have anything to say on the matter, but when it comes to speaking up about it, Mudcat was not my first priority. I--and I'm sure many others--have been speaking plenty about it. But I did my speaking in the form of signing petitions, talking to people, and writing letters. Other than adding my name to the long list on the petition that was submitted, there is not much else I can do here. I'm on the opposite side of the country. But I can--and AM--talking to people here in Washington State, INCLUDING a state legislator whom I know personally, about capital punishment laws here. Believe me, this is not being overlooked, even if it may look that way to you. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: GUEST,josepp Date: 22 Sep 11 - 04:38 PM Every time I see someone being freed because of DNA evidence and what not, the person is always black which tells me the US has a fundamentally and systematically flawed way of trying and convicting blacks. So to execute one when so much doubt lingers as to his guilt makes me balk. All I have to say to the Georgia courts and authorities is, "I hope like hell you're right and you'd better pray you are." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Bobert Date: 22 Sep 11 - 04:44 PM Yo, Spawz... No, "We" didn't do the wrong thing... The 5 "usual suspects" at the Supreme Court did... The way I understand it it would have taken 5, not 4, last night to stop it... "Those 5" didn't... "Those 5" did the wrong thing... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: DrugCrazed Date: 22 Sep 11 - 05:15 PM I've been internetless (still am) and thus know very little, but I've always thought that the death penalty should be reserved for cases where there is no doubt whatsoever. Not beyond reasonable doubt, no doubt whatsoever |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: gnu Date: 22 Sep 11 - 05:20 PM "seven witnesses who changed or recanted their testimony" Will they be tried for perjury? |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: Stringsinger Date: 22 Sep 11 - 05:37 PM A new song needs to be written about the shame of Georgia, the aftermath of the killing of Troy Davis and an appeal to end the death penalty. I hope this will be forthcoming. I really like Nellie McKay's song....well written imho. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Wesley S Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:09 PM How about the other man who was there { Redd Coles } - that years later - told folks that HE had been the actual shooter. NOT Troy Davis. Don't leave out Texas. That same day they executed a white supremacist that had dragged a black man - James Byrd - behind his pickup truck until he died. |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:17 PM You'll find Georgia's Governer, Nathan Deal, on Facebook. His page was filled with anger all day yesterday, whilst Troy still lived..and today even more anger after they killed him! Also, The White House is also on FB. Put your messages on there too.. Over ONE MILLION people signed the petitions for Troy yesterday and the bastards ignored the whole damn lot. May they be found to be guilty of killing an innocent man, locking him up for 20 years beforehand and making him face his own execution once before, with just 2 hours to go before he was allowed more time, before his next execution, this time carried out.... 7 of the 9 witnesses changed their statements and I believe an 8th witness even admitted to the crime. From the FBI to the Pope, calls came in to stop this, but they did what THEY wanted to do all along. Sickening and totally degrading for America and her People, who should be out in their millions over this case.... |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: katlaughing Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:18 PM Thank you, Becky. Will listen and read when I feel stronger, emotionally. Too, too sad right now about the terrible news and the sad state of affairs in this country. |
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Subject: RE: Singing Troy Davis's spirit home From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:19 PM The US Embassy in London merely had a 'Comments Line' to leave your messages on. That's an 'answerphone' in old language.. No-one was available to talk to.... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: katlaughing Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:21 PM Please see thread up top: songs for Troy Davis. Thanks to Becky for posting it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Wesley S Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:38 PM Here are some comments currently running in the Atlanta paper.... I'm tired of people calling whites racist..........we don't have white history month, white miss america, on, and on, and on........ If Troy Davis was a white man, would there have been such commotion? We'll the media really made a circus out of Troy Davis - who is next? Ever notice that most of the bleeding hearts who are vehemently opposed to the death penalty are also vehemently pro abortion? I guess killing violent, guilty criminals is immoral but killing innocent babies is a "choice". It is likely politically incorrect, or illegal, for nonprofit or other organizations to focus on helping white people. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:41 PM Take a look at the first two threads on here, filled with people begging him to intervene... Governor of Georgia - Nathan Deal - Facebook Page What total bastards were in action last night! And of course, the Parole Board sits on Martin Luther King Street....kind of ironic that, huh... It's so sickening, as to be barely believable... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: gnu Date: 22 Sep 11 - 06:53 PM Why bring the colour of skin into this discussion? |
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Subject: RE: Songs for Troy Davis (execution) From: Joe Offer Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:02 PM Lizzie says: Sickening and totally degrading for America and her People, who should be out in their millions over this case.... Unfortunately, execution is very popular in the United States. Politicians who oppose capital punishment are said to be committing political suicide. Ironically, many of those most vehement in support of capital punishment, are people who call themselves "pro-life." -Joe- I think I'm going to combine all three threads on this subject, since the same things are being said in each. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:06 PM Does anyone think that the killers on the parole board, and in the Governor's mansion actually cared whether this man was guilty or innocent? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Amergin Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:06 PM I am not against the death penalty. Some people do not deserve to live after committing horrible crimes. However, I like being damn sure the person did it, no matter his colour or religion. It's just one of those things...convicting and executing some one just because it is expedient, rather than being sure the right man was given the needle, well is a crime just as revolting as the one that put the convict on the row. They should have at the least stayed his execution, pending further investigation, or commuted his sentence to life, but no one wanted to admit they might have been wrong, and so it is possible a gross injustice may have been committed last night. I understand how MacPhail's loved ones would want to see some one pay for his murder, however killing a possibly innocent man is not the way to avenge a slain loved one...and MacPhail being a police officer would have wanted to be positive the right man was sentenced. In other news, also last night a white supremacist in Texas was executed for his part in dragging a handicapped black man behind a pick up truck. This bastard deserved his death. He was full of hate, and proud of what he did, however if any legitimate doubt had been raised that he was an innocent man on the row, his execution would have been just as wrong as Davis'. It is better to commute a guilty man's sentence, than to spill an innocent man's blood. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:24 PM Twenty years on Death Row, and then they kill you... Only in America. Other places they execute people convicted of murder,or they give them life sentences. One or the other, not both. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (execution) From: gnu Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:27 PM Seven witnesses implicated him. Why would seven witnesses do that? Has a conspiracy theory been investigated? What did they have to gain by lying? Why would they lie? As for being under duress, well, forget the flowery language I could use... I think it's bullshit and, apparently, so do the people who executed him. Those witnesses gave their accounts. The man was convicted. THEN some of them recanted because they say they felt threatened during police investigations? Why did they not feel threatened when they wished to recant? Which brings me back to an earlier question I asked... will these witnesses who lied under oath be tried for perjury? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Troy Davis? From: Jeri Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:29 PM "If Troy Davis was a white man, would there have been such commotion?" I don't believe this would have happened to a white man. If you know of one who was convicted of murder and sentenced to die with NO physical evidence, but based solely on eyewitness testimony, much of which was recanted, then add in that another individual confessed to having committed the crime, let us know. If this extremely improbably set of criteria are met, then find a case like this that had to be ignored by the parole board, and the state supreme court, and if it does have to go all the way to the Supreme Court of the US, they're at least going to WANT TO INVESTIGATE IT. There are tons of things I don't know, and what those guys were thinking are among them... or even "if". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Sandy Mc Lean Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:36 PM Whatever constitutes reasonable doubt in Georgia is perhaps influenced by racism, but why in blazes did the US Supreme Court refuse to intervene? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 22 Sep 11 - 07:39 PM will these witnesses who lied under oath be tried for perjury? Interesting - would that be for lying when they made the original statement or when they recanted? The former might be a bit embarrassing... Well it would be embarrassing to anyone capable of being embarrassed, so I suppose that doesn't apply here. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: saulgoldie Date: 22 Sep 11 - 08:49 PM From the Atlantic Monthly website: "The club of prisoner-executing nations is an inauspicious one. You've got the world's great dictatorships and autocracies (Iran, Zimbabwe, China, North Korea, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cuba, Belarus), it's most failed and failing states (Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Congo, Chad, Yemen, Guinea, Bangladesh), not to mention the entire Middle East save Israel." And aren't we proud to be in such august company? Saul |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Bobert Date: 22 Sep 11 - 08:55 PM Wait a minute, ya'll... This is less about Troy Davis and everything to do with the immorality of the death penalty, in general... Time for it to go... We either believe in sanctity of life or we don't... Life, no parole... The state should not be in the killing business... Period... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Wesley S Date: 22 Sep 11 - 09:15 PM I wonder what percentage of the folks who are pro-death penalty are also anti-abortion? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Bobert Date: 22 Sep 11 - 09:22 PM 100%... Next question... Yup, these folks are all for birth but once the umbilical cord is cut cut it's, "Screw you, baby!"... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Bill D Date: 22 Sep 11 - 10:24 PM "The 5 "usual suspects" at the Supreme Court did...<" Sorry Bobert, but all the Supreme court did was decide that Georgia was 'acting legally'. They did NOT contemplate the evidence itself. That was done by the board in Georgia that refused the petition for clemency. The Appeals Court and the Supreme Court are ONLY to determine whether there is a legal problem with procedure. It is sad, it was a travesty, it should never have been allowed to happen, but the "Board of Appeals" in Georgia is where the refusal to re-examine the 'evidence' occurred. Something in the heads & hearts of the appeals board simply did not WANT to look at the renewed evidence. They WANTED the man executed so the debate would begin to end. They... and others... did not want to admit that they had kept Davis in prison for 20 years with bad evidence. So... they just carried out the execution. Now, if the real murderer confesses, it will be very interesting. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Bobert Date: 22 Sep 11 - 11:13 PM You were a Philosophy major, Bill, so you'll get this... This Supreme Court has figured out how to turn several pieces of of legal papers into human flesh (Citizens United) so if they had wanted to stay this execution they would have found a way... The 7 witnesses who admitted to giving false testimony gave the Supremes a way... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 23 Sep 11 - 01:11 AM GREAT TOPIC - Thank you
The courts painstakingly, over 20 years, reviewed the evidence four, complete, times.
The man lived TWO decades longer than his victum. And the list of the perp's "priors" - makes one hope his DNA did not replicate....
A Georgia jury convicted Davis for the murder of Savannah police officer Mark Allen MacPhail - in the early morning hours of August 19, 1989, and for two other offenses. The trial court sentenced him to death for the murder conviction. (MacPhail - father or two - working two jobs to support a wife and family - a sworn officer-white-man, protecting a homeless black-man from a horrific assault.) Some Folkies will welcome ANY audience..ANY where...at ANY time. Nice sequay into the upper-kingdom, dessert dancer.
Suggested SONG TITLES Scum Of The Earth Murder In The First Degree Murder Music Row Murder By Numbers Murder 2 Murder, He Says Thy Art Is Murder Blue Murder
Sincerely, |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: GUEST,Bluesman Date: 23 Sep 11 - 04:16 AM Well all the singing didn't help much ! Job done. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: MGM·Lion Date: 23 Sep 11 - 07:22 AM Accusations of 'racism' might not come so well from you, Richard, after your misguided animadversions on the legitimacy of the State of Israel ~~ see what I had to rejoin to you on that topic in the Palestine thread. ~M~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 23 Sep 11 - 07:55 AM In the United States it may be common for people who support the death penalty to combine it with being opposed to abortion, but elsewhere I suspect that is a pretty uncommon combination. That especially is the case with most Christian churches, notably including the Catholic Church, which has been strongly condemnatory of capital punishment. For example Pope Benedict appealed for Try Davis not to be killed. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Bobert Date: 23 Sep 11 - 09:19 AM 7 out of 9 witnesses came forth and said they were pressured by the police to finger Davis... There was no physical evidence presented at the trial... No gun owned by Davis... No fingerprints... No nothin'... Given the number of folks who have been found innocent (almost all black) over the last 15 or so years after having been convicted I think one can certainly make the case, especially in states where poor black people are not adequately represented in court, that this country has and will continue to murder innocent black people up until REDNECK NATION itself has had enough, should that ever occur... BTW, I would be willing to bet that if these executions were held in the middle of a football stadium and tickets sold for folks to watch it that REDNECK NATION would pack the stadium... We certainly are going backwards at an astounding rate of speed... Jim Crow hasn't been this happy since the 1930s... Bob |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Richard Bridge Date: 23 Sep 11 - 09:21 AM True dat. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: pdq Date: 23 Sep 11 - 09:54 AM COP-KILLER IS MEDIA'S LATEST BABY SEAL September 21, 2011 For decades, liberals tried persuading Americans to abolish the death penalty, using their usual argument: hysterical sobbing. Only when the media began lying about innocent people being executed did support for the death penalty begin to waver, falling from 80 percent to about 60 percent in a little more than a decade. (Silver lining: That's still more Americans than believe in man-made global warming.) Fifty-nine percent of Americans now believe that an innocent man has been executed in the last five years. There is more credible evidence that space aliens have walked among us than that an innocent person has been executed in this country in the past 60 years, much less the past five years. But unless members of the public are going to personally review trial transcripts in every death penalty case, they have no way of knowing the truth. The media certainly won't tell them. It's nearly impossible to receive a death sentence these days -- unless you do something completely crazy like shoot a cop in full view of dozens of witnesses in a Burger King parking lot, only a few hours after shooting at a passing car while exiting a party. That's what Troy Davis did in August 1989. Davis is the media's current baby seal of death row. After a two-week trial with 34 witnesses for the state and six witnesses for the defense, the jury of seven blacks and five whites took less than two hours to convict Davis of Officer Mark MacPhail's murder, as well as various other crimes. Two days later, the jury sentenced Davis to death. Now, a brisk 22 years after Davis murdered Officer MacPhail, his sentence will finally be administered this week -- barring any more of the legal shenanigans that have kept taxpayers on the hook for Davis' room and board for the past two decades. (The average time on death row is 14 years. Then liberals turn around and triumphantly claim the death penalty doesn't have any noticeable deterrent effect. As the kids say: Duh.) It has been claimed -- in The New York Times and Time magazine, for example -- that there was no "physical evidence" connecting Davis to the crimes that night. Davis pulled out a gun and shot two strangers in public. What "physical evidence" were they expecting? No houses were broken into, no cars stolen, no rapes or fistfights accompanied the shootings. Where exactly would you look for DNA? And to prove what? I suppose it would be nice if the shell casings from both shootings that night matched. Oh wait -- they did. That's "physical evidence." It's true that the bulk of the evidence against Davis was eyewitness testimony. That tends to happen when you shoot someone in a busy Burger King parking lot. Eyewitness testimony, like all evidence tending to show guilt, has gotten a bad name recently, but the "eyewitness" testimony in this case did not consist simply of strangers trying to distinguish one tall black man from another. For one thing, several of the eyewitnesses knew Davis personally. The bulk of the eyewitness testimony established the following: Two tall, young black men were harassing a vagrant in the Burger King parking lot, one in a yellow shirt and the other in a white Batman shirt. The one in the white shirt used a brown revolver to pistol-whip the vagrant. When a cop yelled at them to stop, the man in the white shirt ran, then wheeled around and shot the cop, walked over to his body and shot him again, smiling. Some eyewitnesses described the shooter as wearing a white shirt, some said it was a white shirt with writing, and some identified it specifically as a white Batman shirt. Not one witness said the man in the yellow shirt pistol-whipped the vagrant or shot the cop. Several of Davis' friends testified -- without recantation -- that he was the one in a white shirt. Several eyewitnesses, both acquaintances and strangers, specifically identified Davis as the one who shot Officer MacPhail. Now the media claim that seven of the nine witnesses against Davis at trial have recanted. First of all, the state presented 34 witnesses against Davis -- not nine -- which should give you some idea of how punctilious the media are about their facts in death penalty cases. Among the witnesses who did not recant a word of their testimony against Davis were three members of the Air Force, who saw the shooting from their van in the Burger King drive-in lane. The airman who saw events clearly enough to positively identify Davis as the shooter explained on cross-examination, "You don't forget someone that stands over and shoots someone." Recanted testimony is the least believable evidence since it proves only that defense lawyers managed to pressure some witnesses to alter their testimony, conveniently after the trial has ended. Even criminal lobbyist Justice William Brennan ridiculed post-trial recantations. Three recantations were from friends of Davis, making minor or completely unbelievable modifications to their trial testimony. For example, one said he was no longer sure he saw Davis shoot the cop, even though he was five feet away at the time. His remaining testimony still implicated Davis. One alleged recantation, from the vagrant's girlfriend (since deceased), wasn't a recantation at all, but rather reiterated all relevant parts of her trial testimony, which included a direct identification of Davis as the shooter. Only two of the seven alleged "recantations" (out of 34 witnesses) actually recanted anything of value -- and those two affidavits were discounted by the court because Davis refused to allow the affiants to testify at the post-trial evidentiary hearing, even though one was seated right outside the courtroom, waiting to appear. The court specifically warned Davis that his refusal to call his only two genuinely recanting witnesses would make their affidavits worthless. But Davis still refused to call them -- suggesting, as the court said, that their lawyer-drafted affidavits would not have held up under cross-examination. With death penalty opponents so fixated on Davis' race -- he's black -- it ought to be noted that all the above witnesses are themselves African-American. The first man Davis shot in the car that night was African-American. I notice that the people so anxious to return this sociopathic cop-killer to the street don't live in his neighborhood. There's a reason more than a dozen courts have looked at Davis' case and refused to overturn his death sentence. He is as innocent as every other executed man since at least 1950, which is to say, guilty as hell. COPYRIGHT 2011 ANN COULTER |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: Bobert Date: 23 Sep 11 - 10:58 AM ANN COULTER??? Ah huh... They right wing has learned that facts no longer matter... They make up whatever they want... When they are called on their ballgames that SCREAM "prove it" and then turn the BIG conversation into bickering over minute details using the well paid bloggers as their back up and after a while the BIG conversation is completely gone out the window... BTW, this was the "Teribus Tactic" during the Mad-Dash-To-Iraq days... He would try to use SUBTERFUGE to steer the conversation away from the Big conversation... Well, look where that got *US*??? B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: catspaw49 Date: 23 Sep 11 - 11:18 AM Ann Coulter can kiss my entire ass. Like I would believe jackshit from that simpleass bimbo...........yeah, right...............tis a great shame there is no similar penalty for being a scrawny-assed, dimbulb, fuckwit bitch.....THEN you might have a case for the death penalty! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Singing for Troy Davis (Georgia execution) From: olddude Date: 23 Sep 11 - 11:20 AM Murder by an individual, or Murder by a state ... it is all the same thing. An eye for an eye ends up with a blind world .. No government has the right to murder under the excuse of punishment. It is terrible and it is about time this country joins other civilized countries and ends this shit now |
