AngryFemme
2008-01-18, 02:36
Surely everyone here has read or heard about The West Memphis Three (http://www.wm3.org/live/caseinfo/index.php), but I've linked it here just in case you've been living under a rock for the past decade.
To quickly paraphrase:
In 1993, three boys were found brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. After a botched crime scene, sloppy investigation and a lot of media hype centered around the evil deeds of a "satanic cult", three young men were found guilty of murder. One is serving life without parole, one is serving life + 40 years, and the other is currently on death row. Although the evidence was flimsy, the testimonies conflicting and the "expert witness" later deemed completely bogus, the state of Arkansas had absolutely no qualms about the decision reached in it's courts. The public outcry in opposition to this Salem-like witch hunt that led to the arrests of Jesse Misskelly, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin seemed completely ineffectual and went unheard for a short time. On two separate occasions after the convictions, the Arkansas supreme court agreed unanimously that the trial was fair and justice was served. Up to this point, appeals have been ineffectual in spite of new scientific evidence, recanted testimonies and even some of the victim's own families recommending that those convicted be tried again. In February '08, they'll get another shot at presenting new evidence, only not to a federal court. It looks both hopeful and dismal, all at the same time.
_____
Arkansas is known for producing Presidents and presidential hopefuls, fierce grassroots evangelical organizations - and more internal corruption than you can shake a stick at. The case of the West Memphis Three has been only one in a long string of many, many "mistakes" this backwards-thinking region is known for. But I didn't make this thread in order to bemoan a bunch of hypocritical do-gooder bureacrats or to speak out against the gross miscarriage of justice within my state's court system. I didn't even make this thread to showcase my support of the WM3, even though I've been following this case since the very beginning. I made this thread here to point out 1)the mass delusion that overcomes religious people who believe the Devil (or God) is responsible for human actions, and 2)the mass hysteria that takes place when the religious mindset teems with confusion, fear and misplaced vengeance.
The main premise behind the prosecution's case was to showcase the "evil" that made up the M.O. of the three accused young men. This was illustrated to the jury (and later superimposed on the public's mind via the media) in such a fashion as to get the entire state riled up in a "satanic" panic that lasted for years after the men were sentenced. Had the religious superstitions of the natives of this state not blinded them from being able to see what a good portion of the rest of the country viewed as an impulsive perversion of justice, would three human beings not wasted a decade and a half of their lives behind bars? Would the real killer have been found?
Why is it that people who mutter "God made me do it" are often deemed insane and incompetent to stand trial, but those accused of doing "deeds of the Devil" are often tried as cold, calculating murderers fit to be sentenced to prison versus a mental hospital? Especially when they completely deny having been influenced by "Satan", like the prosecution assumes! It just doesn't make a lick of sense. Taking orders from God means you're crazy. Taking orders from the Devil means you've got full control of your mental faculties. Is anyone feeling me on the absurdity of all this?
How can the courts even allow a religious figure to be brought into serious consideration in a system where facts, evidence and a fairly tight grip on reality is what governs it's methods of doling out justice? If a killer is supposedly influenced by a supernatural entity that has never been proven to even exist, how can that be allowed into evidence or deemed a valid argument? And since it is, why can't all defenses be structured to place the "blame" on imaginary spiritual figures and the accused be exonerated from having any control over their actions? Because the jury won't buy it, that's why. Because it's ridiculous, far-out, flimsy, LOOSE conjecture and nothing more. But unfortunately, due to the religious mindset of carefully-picked juries, the prosecution is allowed in so many words to thoroughly prep their minds with confusion and fear, allowing them to take a short hiatus from their senses while God's own wrathful vengeance helps goad them into their verdict.
It's going to be a really fucked up state of affairs when something major, literally earth-shattering happens to us on a grand scale, something far more devastating and widespread than the murder of three boys. Since a large portion of the American public are going to attribute any intense life-altering event to an Act of God or Armageddon (followed by their joyous and much-anticipated second coming of Christ) - they are going to be overjoyed by it, maybe even be foolishly misled into not attempting to put themselves or their loved ones out of harm's way. And as long as religious paranoia of this magnitude is encouraged by our courts, our government and the media, all hell is going to break loose.
Back to the case of the WM3 - a U.S. District judge has suggested that the case be presented (yet again) to an Arkansas state judge before turning it over to the federal courts. No doubt this will keep yet another Arkansas scandal (think: Brubaker; Whitewater) from spreading nationally like wildfire - but that's a whole other thread. What's going to be interesting to see is if this state has evolved from it's superstitious primitive thinking and re-examines the new evidence in earnest, with sound reason.
"We now know there's no such thing as a satanic ritualistic homicide... Back in 1993, no one understood that."
- Daniel Stidham (for the defense)
To quickly paraphrase:
In 1993, three boys were found brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. After a botched crime scene, sloppy investigation and a lot of media hype centered around the evil deeds of a "satanic cult", three young men were found guilty of murder. One is serving life without parole, one is serving life + 40 years, and the other is currently on death row. Although the evidence was flimsy, the testimonies conflicting and the "expert witness" later deemed completely bogus, the state of Arkansas had absolutely no qualms about the decision reached in it's courts. The public outcry in opposition to this Salem-like witch hunt that led to the arrests of Jesse Misskelly, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin seemed completely ineffectual and went unheard for a short time. On two separate occasions after the convictions, the Arkansas supreme court agreed unanimously that the trial was fair and justice was served. Up to this point, appeals have been ineffectual in spite of new scientific evidence, recanted testimonies and even some of the victim's own families recommending that those convicted be tried again. In February '08, they'll get another shot at presenting new evidence, only not to a federal court. It looks both hopeful and dismal, all at the same time.
_____
Arkansas is known for producing Presidents and presidential hopefuls, fierce grassroots evangelical organizations - and more internal corruption than you can shake a stick at. The case of the West Memphis Three has been only one in a long string of many, many "mistakes" this backwards-thinking region is known for. But I didn't make this thread in order to bemoan a bunch of hypocritical do-gooder bureacrats or to speak out against the gross miscarriage of justice within my state's court system. I didn't even make this thread to showcase my support of the WM3, even though I've been following this case since the very beginning. I made this thread here to point out 1)the mass delusion that overcomes religious people who believe the Devil (or God) is responsible for human actions, and 2)the mass hysteria that takes place when the religious mindset teems with confusion, fear and misplaced vengeance.
The main premise behind the prosecution's case was to showcase the "evil" that made up the M.O. of the three accused young men. This was illustrated to the jury (and later superimposed on the public's mind via the media) in such a fashion as to get the entire state riled up in a "satanic" panic that lasted for years after the men were sentenced. Had the religious superstitions of the natives of this state not blinded them from being able to see what a good portion of the rest of the country viewed as an impulsive perversion of justice, would three human beings not wasted a decade and a half of their lives behind bars? Would the real killer have been found?
Why is it that people who mutter "God made me do it" are often deemed insane and incompetent to stand trial, but those accused of doing "deeds of the Devil" are often tried as cold, calculating murderers fit to be sentenced to prison versus a mental hospital? Especially when they completely deny having been influenced by "Satan", like the prosecution assumes! It just doesn't make a lick of sense. Taking orders from God means you're crazy. Taking orders from the Devil means you've got full control of your mental faculties. Is anyone feeling me on the absurdity of all this?
How can the courts even allow a religious figure to be brought into serious consideration in a system where facts, evidence and a fairly tight grip on reality is what governs it's methods of doling out justice? If a killer is supposedly influenced by a supernatural entity that has never been proven to even exist, how can that be allowed into evidence or deemed a valid argument? And since it is, why can't all defenses be structured to place the "blame" on imaginary spiritual figures and the accused be exonerated from having any control over their actions? Because the jury won't buy it, that's why. Because it's ridiculous, far-out, flimsy, LOOSE conjecture and nothing more. But unfortunately, due to the religious mindset of carefully-picked juries, the prosecution is allowed in so many words to thoroughly prep their minds with confusion and fear, allowing them to take a short hiatus from their senses while God's own wrathful vengeance helps goad them into their verdict.
It's going to be a really fucked up state of affairs when something major, literally earth-shattering happens to us on a grand scale, something far more devastating and widespread than the murder of three boys. Since a large portion of the American public are going to attribute any intense life-altering event to an Act of God or Armageddon (followed by their joyous and much-anticipated second coming of Christ) - they are going to be overjoyed by it, maybe even be foolishly misled into not attempting to put themselves or their loved ones out of harm's way. And as long as religious paranoia of this magnitude is encouraged by our courts, our government and the media, all hell is going to break loose.
Back to the case of the WM3 - a U.S. District judge has suggested that the case be presented (yet again) to an Arkansas state judge before turning it over to the federal courts. No doubt this will keep yet another Arkansas scandal (think: Brubaker; Whitewater) from spreading nationally like wildfire - but that's a whole other thread. What's going to be interesting to see is if this state has evolved from it's superstitious primitive thinking and re-examines the new evidence in earnest, with sound reason.
"We now know there's no such thing as a satanic ritualistic homicide... Back in 1993, no one understood that."
- Daniel Stidham (for the defense)