Thursday, May 29, 2008

Time For Truth

I don't usually talk politics here, because this blog is my personal journal and not my soap box, but there is a cause that I believe in that I have supported for many years - too many years - that I want you to be aware of.

The case of the West Memphis Three is known across the country and around the world. The story boils down to two simple words: wrongful imprisonment. What makes this case stand out, to me, is that these boys were targets in their community. It was no mistake that they were the ones to be arrested, tried, and convicted. It was all purposeful and political. Three teenage boys were convicted of triple homicide with no physical or circumstantial evidence and sentenced to life in prison with one on DEATH ROW. Why? They were awkward teenagers who didn't fit in. They listened to heavy metal music and didn't go to football games. They also were poor kids who couldn't afford to defend themselves, seemingly the perfect scapegoats.

In the past few years, enough money has been raised to have DNA and other forensics testing done (which was not done in the original trial*) which completely exonerates the three men who have been sitting in prison, with one on death row for FIFTEEN YEARS. The media, the supporters, and even the parents of the victims have come to agree that the wrong people were charged and that their town was gripped by a "Satanic Panic" when the victims were murdered - and all of them are calling upon the legislature for a review of the new evidence. Because of the politics involved, this case is slow in coming back to court, and every day it is delayed is another day that Damien Echols risks being executed for a crime he did not commit.

A new video called "Time For Truth" has been made which is very concise and extremely well done, that explains the case in 20 minutes. I hope you'll watch it and tell someone else to watch it too. It's hard not to feel passionately about this case. It's an injustice that is so blatant that it cannot be ignored.

How you can help:
Because we're not free until they are.


*One of the few pieces of "evidence" that were entered against the defendants were Metallica t-shirts and Steven King novels, as proof that the boys were Satanists

1 comment:

brentpeterson said...

Thank you a million times over, giddygirl.

We have done a lot with awareness- raising events in Arkansas--where this need has been ignored for too long--since the Damien Echols press conference in early November '07.

We can email attachments of our T shirt design, bumper stickers, cards and fliers for anyone to use for anything you can do to help raise awareness. Our website is www.freewestmemphis3.org.

Thanks again for everything,
Brent Peterson
Arkansas Take Action

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