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The Human Zoo/September 23, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around The Human Experience...
THAT'S THE WAY THE WORLD IS BUILT: It's comforting to know everyone acted like human beings in the Troy Davis imbroglio. Davis was executed by the state of Georgia Wednesday night, despite the fact several witnessed had recanted their testimony and there was never any physical evidence tying him to the crime.
USA! USA! No matter. As a society we showed everyone how tough we are on crime, a society hell bent on ridding ourselves of our most evil, rotten criminals, even if it's not entirely certain they're an evil, rotten criminal. Someone's getting executed, dammit, proving what a law and order society we are.
Troy Davis acted like an innocent man being put to death.
The victims family acted like virtually every other family in their position has acted. They want their revenge, an altogether normal human reaction, even if vengeance might be carried out on the wrong person. Again, no matter. A black guy is being strapped down and poisoned for their loved ones death. They're happy.
The government played its roll, too, stubbornly refusing to admit there might be a mistake being made. Even President Obama, who had very limited authority to do anything (he could have halted the execution only if he felt there was a federal matter that needed investigating) chose to do nothing, despite the fact this was a situation screaming for a responsible adult to stand up, show some what we like to call "leadership" and say "you know what, there's too much doubt here. Let's step away from the hype and take another look at it. We're not letting him free. He is still under sentence of death and we can always kill him later."
Back On Message: Davis maintained his innocence till the end. This is not always the case. Even the most cursory research shows the truly guilty oftentimes acknowledge and apologize for their crimes.
Case In Point:Texas executed someone Wednesday night, too, someone for whom guilt wasn't an issue. Lawrence Brewer was one of three men convicted of offering black guy a ride home, then choosing to beat him, urinate on him and then tie him to the back of their pickup truck and dragging him, where his head eventually hit a cement culvert, decapitating him.
Brewer never said he was innocent. In fact, at his death he had no appeals pending and died years before he could have. He was guilty and - fairly sensibly - had no desire to spend any more time in a Texas prison than he had to. His last act in a racist, ignorant, violent life was to die with some dignity.
LOL: It's funny when on a given day Texas serves as the humming-on-all-cylinders death penalty model.
The Bottom Line: We still don't understand this country's fascination with executing criminals, even if it's not entirely clear they are guilty. Proponents will say it makes us look tough on crime when all it really does is make us look petty, selfish, unenlightened and primitive.
HUT, HUT HIKE: Official Writer's Shack faves the Mount Union Purple Raiders, 2-0, continue their blitzkrieg through the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) this week, hosting 0-2 Wilmington Saturday night.
Breakdown Segment: The Quakers have never beaten our Purple Raiders. Never means not once, too, as Mount Union leads the series 13-0. They won the first game, 43-0 in 1968, and creamed them last year 51-0. They also won games 2-12, inclusive.
Oh Yeah: Our Purple Raiders are coming off a tough 58-7 win over John Carroll last Saturday.
The School From Up North: Those bastards from Wisconsin-Wherever, the defending NCAA Division III champions, though you can damn well bet the rent money that will change this year, resume the inbreeding known as Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play this week, hosting UW-Platteville.
The Week In Review: Last week UW-Wherever was lucky to squeak out a 54-14 victory over always-tough Campbellsville.
Oh Yeah: Mount Union has won ten (10) NCAA Division III national championships. UW-Wherever has won a mere three (3). The two schools have split the last three D-III national championship games.
BONER MEANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT BACK THEN: One of the most famous plays in American sports history takes place on this date in 1908.
The Chicago Cubs (just weeks away from their most recent World Series victory!) are tied for first place in the National League with the New York Giants and hold on to your hats because those zany Pittsburgh Pirates are just a game and a half back.
The Cubs and Giants are meeting in New York. With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Giants had Moose McCormick on third and Fred Merkle - then in his first full big league season and, at 19, the youngest player in the major leagues - on first. Al Bridwell was at bat and got a base hit off Jack Pfiester. McCormick crossed the plate, which should have ended the game, but Merkle, who was merely following the custom at that time, veered off to the clubhouse, which at the Polo Grounds was out past centerfield.
Hilarity Ensues: Cubs manager and second baseman Frank Chance sees this and calls for the baseball.
No one is entirely sure if the actual game ball made it to Chance, or if the game ball had been intercepted by a member of the Giants and another ball found its way to Evers. All home plate umpire Hank O'Day knew, besides that he should have called in sick, was that Merkle hadn't touched first and a Chicago Cub was standing on second holding a baseball. By rule, Merkle was out.
Paper, Rock, Scissors: O'Day and base umpire Bib Emslie got together and discussed it and called Merkle was out, the run didn't count and game was over because one, it was getting dark, and two, finishing the game would be impossible anyway.
Dry, Pennant Winning Matter: After assorted hearings and appeals, by both teams, the National League ruled the game must be replayed in its entirety because the Cubs and Giants had finished the regular season with identical records and on October 8 the Cubs won the rematch 4-2.
Thought For The Day: You can't fight murder with murder. Life in prison would have been fine. I know he can't hurt my daddy anymore. I wish the state would take in mind this isn't what we want. - Ross Byrd, son of Lawrence Brewer's victim, on Brewer's execution.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: The other two United States wins in the Rugby World Cup came against Japan, 21-18, in 1987 and 39-26 in 2003.
Today's Stumper: Among teams that have won the World Series, which National League team has the second longest World Series title drought? - Answer next time!
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