Nov 22, 2011 - President Kennedy remembered

Dear Sis~

Writing today's date reminded me this is the anniversary of President Kennedy's 1963 assassination.  Like almost every American alive back then I still vividly recall where I was when I learned the sad news. Even at age 9 I understood (at least to the extent a nine-year-old could) the dimension of the tragedy, which caused me to run home from elementary school with tears streaming down my face...

As you know we had an execution a week ago, the second one in 2 months.  In the week leading up to it, and in the week since, I was more than a little morose.  I long ago lost count of the number of guys I've watched get marched off to the death chamber but it has in recent years become harder to shrug it off, to just accept it as routine, as the way it is, that a civilized society finds it reasonable, even highly desirable to coldly and premeditatedly kill human beings.  Here I am surrounded by the prospect of death, right at the doorstep, which permeates the atmosphere here like a foul odor...

Well, Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner, not that we'll be seeing any decent food.  Back in the day we used to get a real feast on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas; it was a tradition in prisons around the country, lots of real turkey, stuffing and gravy, hot dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin (or sweet potato) pie, salad, eggnog, etc.  Those were the two days when we were relieved of the tedium of bland prison food, and before the prison system became so overly hateful and hostile towards prisoners.  Nowadays it's all about being mean-spirited, begrudging us any hint of compassion lest someone be accused of being "soft on crime."  An apt example of this mindset is what recently happened in Texas following an execution where the condemned ordered his traditional last meal and then had the audacity not to eat any of it, leaving it untouched until he was executed.  Some Texas legislator heard about this "waste of money" and got himself into a self-righteous lather, asserting that a person facing execution does not deserve any type of special last meal, that it was a moral outrage to provide one.  So, immediately the head of their Dept of Corrections announced that he agreed with those sentiments and that henceforth all condemned prisoners will only receive a standard prison meal prior to execution.  Even in the final moments before death there can be no hint of kindness or compassion. When did we become such a hateful people? (As for myself I would not even ask for a last meal anyway; I'm not interested in participating in their rituals of death, of being a footnote in someones anecdote)...
Despite my seemingly dismal situation, in the spirit of Thanksgiving Day I acknowledge that I have much to be thankful for, starting with the fundamentals: I'm alive, in sound health and great spirits.  Most importantly I'm blessed to have so many good people who love and care about me, making mine an easier path to tread.  I don't know what the future holds for me but for now it's all good...

Ok, Sis, enough blathering from me.  Give the doggies a belly rub for me, and enjoy the holidays!

Love and Peace,

Bill