Dinsdag 1 februari
Om 8 uur de wekker gezet. Om half 9 m’n bed uitgegaan en onder de douche gekropen. Op een één of andere manier zit ik nog niet helemaal in m’n ritme. Douche is vandaag er ok. Maartje belt me onder de douche vandaan om te zeggen dat ze samen met rogier alvast richting college gaat om onderweg wat ontbijt te halen.
Het is hier op dit moment erg Nederlandsch weer. Texas is niet wat ik gedacht had. Geen woestijn, geen cactussen (in de winkels zijn ze zelfs onbetaalbaar) en geen cowboys. Wel af en toe een verdwaalde cowboyhoed, maar daaronder zit dan vervolgens geen Marlboro man. Het is hier op dit moment nat en koud. En daar komt de komende dagen waarschijnlijk geen verandering in.
S’ochtends college criminal law en s’middags capital punishment. Vooral bij dat laatste vak besef je pas hoe gek ze hier eigenlijk zijn. Het gevoel van ze-klooien-hier-maar-wat-aan was er, is er, en ik zie de komende tijd nog niets in het vooruitzicht dat dat gevoel kan wegnemen.
Een interessante site is de volgende: Death row
Onder "executed offenders" kun de laatste woorden van de inmiddels ter doodgebrachte Texaanse gevangen lezen.
Ik heb er een aantal uitgepikt:
“Yes. I would just like to say to my family that I am sorry for all the grief I have caused. I love you all. Tell Mama and the kids I love you; I love all of you. And I would like to clear some things up if I could.
Tommy Perkins, the man that got a capital life sentence for murdering Kinslow -- he did not do it. I did it. He would not even have had anything to do with it if he had known I was going to shoot the man. He would not have gone with me if he had known. I was paid to shoot the man. And Martin, the younger boy, did not know what it was about. He thought it was just a robbery. I am sorry for that. It was nothing personal. I was trying to make a living.
A boy on Eastham doing a life sentence for killing Jamie Kent - I did not do it, but I was with his daddy when it was done. I was there with him and down through the years there were several more that I had done or had a part of. And I am sorry and I am not sure how many - there must be a dozen or 14 I believe all total.
One I would like to clear up is Cullen Davis - where he was charged with shooting his wife. And all of these it was never nothing personal. It was just something I did to make a living. I am sorry for all the grief I have caused. I love you all. That is all I have to say”
Billy Vickers,
January 28, 2004, (De dag van de executie)
(...) "For all of you with hatred in their veins, and think this is ashamed. You've done nothing. I did this, I choose this, you've done nothing. Remember this, if all you know is hatred, if all you know is blood love, you'll never be satisfied. For everybody out there that is like that and knows nothing but negative, kiss my proud white Irish ass.
I'm ready Warden, send me home."
Robert Atworth,
December 14, 1999 (De dag van de executie)
"Yeah. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man - convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. From God's dust I came and to dust I will return - so the earth shall become my throne. I gotta go, road dog. I love you Gabby." [Remaining portion of statement omitted due to profanity.]
Cameron Todd Willingham,
February 17, 2004 (De dag van de executie)
Het systeem hier heeft er geen probleem mee iemand te executeren met een IQ van 67...
