It's utterly unbelievable. I need a breather.
Saturday, Jul. 20, 2002 21:31

I FINALLY watched "Render" today. "Render," for those of you who don't know, is Ani Difranco's new video. It's an hour and a half (I think?) and it's just all these different segments and clips and stuff about her. I kind of wish it had been a little more personal, but that's just my noseyness, I'm sure.

She said some things that got me. She was talking about her anti-death penalty stance (one which I agree with with every ounce of myself). She started talking about people as wholes. A murderer isn't just a murderer. When somebody gets sent to trial for killing another human being, it is the justice system's job to judge them. Sometimes this judgement requires a prison sentence. Sometimes it requires institutionalization. Sometimes it means that the person is able to prove that the murder was in self-defense and that he or she is not responsible. But way too often, the judgement means that out government...the government of the great United States of America where there is liberty and justice for ALL...the government decides that based on this act, him or her, in question, must die. Not only does this serve no purpose in protection of society better than life in jail would, but it also robs an individual (yes, we're talking real people here) of his or her right to live. To LIVE.

People are battling everyday for their lives and the lives of others. All of this research goes into so many worthwhile causes, and yet, a person, an idividual, a CITIZEN's own government is so quick to MURDER him because of one moment. ONE moment.

When people go to trial and are judged by the court, by the people, by the government, they are judged based on one moment. They are judged based on (most likely) the worst moment of their lives. And nobody ever stops to ask what else is going on in their lives. Nobody stops to ask why else they are living...what they are doing on this earth...who loves them...who they love. Nobody stops to question anything but that one moment where they made the worst choice of their entire lives.

That's what Ani was saying.

And it struck me.

And all of a sudden, I had tears in my eyes as I thought about how many people are dying. I think about that. Isn't it bad enough that somebody had to die? Why "trade crime for crime?" (in Ani's words) Why cause MORE pain? Why? "Murder is murder."

What gives George W. Bush the right to sit there in his leather chair behind his expensive desk and issue orders to have people killed? What gave him that right when he was the governor of Texas and all those people were killed?

And for what??? What difference did/does it make? What difference could it make?

Ani also pointed out an important fact. There is NO way of telling whether someone is innocent or guilty. And once a person's life is gone, there's nothing left. Life is what we've got. Life is it as far as we know for right now. To take away someone's existence because we believe beyond a reasonable doubt that he or she took the life of another?

Oh my gosh. LIVES CANNOT BE PLAYED WITH LIKE THAT.

It's making me very very sad. I need to stop with that now.