The Audacity of Hope: Great Expectations from Barack Obama

"The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character" - Margaret Chase Smith

Nov 4th 2008 was a historic day for America-an African American man with the strangest of names; a name that all the nay sayers picked on, became the 44th President of the United States of America. In a campaign that was littered with brickbats, the man who would be President picked up those bricks, and built a foundation with such grace, intelligence and dignity that even those who didn’t vote for him had to acknowledge he was a class act. It was also one of those moments that the American people came through the true test of moral character that Margaret Chase Smith talks about in the quote above, with flying colors.

My first introduction to Barack Obama, like many others was at the Democratic Convention in July of 2004 when he delivered the keynote address. He knew then as he knows now, when he said “Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.”

He is the grandson of a cook and the son of a man who “grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin- roof shack,” but found the magical passage to America on a scholarship. And yet, said Obama, his white mother and black father’s improbable union, and the repercussions that came with it never stopped them from believing “in the possibilities of this nation.” When they named their son Barack they did so believing that “in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.”

I remember immediately buying Barack Obama’s book “Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” after hearing him at the convention while people were saying “Obama who?” when I asked many of my friends if they had watched him speak.
The book was a fascinating read. Obama wrote as well as he spoke and the book seemed like it had been written yesterday and not more than a decade ago when he was in his early thirties.

I remember being struck by the beauty of language, the honesty with which he wrote his memoir and more than that the fact that he was an observer and a listener. He read so he could understand what made white people afraid of the black people, what drove that fear, and “how people learnt to hate”. He shared stories of trying to find his identity, of how his American passport gave him privileges in foreign lands, which was denied to others, but above all even then, he became a bridge builder and a man who listened as well as he spoke-an art that is not easy to learn.

His compassion for the struggling masses, promising hope to the hopeless and delivering, and talking as candidly about his dabbling with drugs to still all the questions that face a biracial child whose father had abandoned him, have found more empathy in today’s America than expected.

And while every one thought Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in for the Democratic Presidential nomination and that her husband Bill Clinton with his charisma, brilliant intellect and formidable oratory would help the landslide in her favor, I stumbled upon Michelle Obama while flipping channels at 1 a.m. at night. She was addressing a retirement community, and I was hooked. Not only was I blown away by her sincerity, and intelligence, her speech was stunning in content and presentation. And I remember thinking-this woman will make an amazing First Lady.

The campaign was an exercise in endurance for all the candidates-brutal, relentless, exhausting and repetitive. The assault from all sides was so unbearable at times that in spite of being from the media, I would shut everything out and refused to write or request interviews from any candidate. But what I couldn’t escape was Obama’s calm demeanor, his tolerance and his effort at being a gentleman by and large, when others were dealing some pretty unsavory cards his way. And it didn’t go unnoticed.

And what he said that night as he stood before a cheering crowd, could very well have been said on 4th November as he stood now before a multitude of teary eyed Americans from all age groups and ethnicities, “I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story; that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.’

In the aftermath of the elections there were several things that struck me. The brilliant use of the internet by the campaign not only to raise the largest funds ever for a Presidential campaign, but to educate and involve a very large net savvy community. It was also fascinating to see the number of first time voters that showed up to vote, because they were moved into action by the audacity of hope and change that Obama represented and they answered his call in droves to become engaged. Gandhi’s message “Be the change you want to see in the world”, was never more symbolic of a campaign than the one run by Obama’s team. And the internet continues to be a great medium for the President elect with his now website www.change.gov. where Obama will continue to connect on cyber space with the common masses, on a regular basis.

It was also interesting to note that while Obama is a bi-racial man who was brought up by his white mother and grandparents, with his grandmother playing a very significant role in his upbringing, and Obama himself never made his race an issue-Nov 4th became a day of redemption for not just black America, but every ethnic group that has felt ostracized or isolated. I remember Whoopi Goldberg saying that while she always felt a part of America, when Obama won she felt that she could finally put her suitcase down. Yet the tears of joy that streamed down many faces were not just of African Americans, or soft, mushy grandmas or sappy women. There were grown men, and tough journalists reaching for their Kleenex. And so many believe today that now there is hope of better understanding and a softening of the racial divide that has haunted America through the ages.

As the media continues to ambush America with the minutest dissection of what lies ahead of Obama, how he needs the biggest mop to clean the messy spill the Bush administration leaves behind; as cynicism raises its ugly head amidst the celebrations of history being created, I hope those who still continue to question if Obama will deliver, remember the most important part of his acceptance speech.
“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there..

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years, block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your President, too.”
I hope that for once America hears the voice of their new President and stands behind him and becomes his strength, so he can become ours.

Oh look, its a bird, its a Palin, uh Plane

Is it just me or is everyone suffering from election fatigue? I just can’t seem to escape the never ending dissection of every political move, every word uttered-I have distorted vision-(yeah I really think Tina Fey is Sarah Palin), distorted mind-(I wish Tina Fey was Sarah Palin) and a never ending refrain in my head-I need ear plugs and opaque glasses.

And in spite of all the hoopla, the mind boggling discussions, the heated debates and media blitz(Wolfie isn’t the only one blitzing or should I say obliterating the television screen), I see so many people still clueless about what the candidates bring to the table.

I get answers like McCain’s too old, Obama too young from most people- depending on the age group I talk to- on why they aren’t voting for one or the other.

People talk more about Palin and McCain’s appearance on SNL, then the issues at hand.
And instead of serious discussions I get jokes like the one below and I actually laugh

Why did the chicken cross the road?

SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One! that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

So yeah is it just me or are we all really thrilled Tuesday cometh?

US Supreme Court Sends Troy Davis to his Death

Hi Kavita,

I wanted to take some pictures Monday night but the counselor went home.
I’ll place a request to purchase a few photo coupons so we can take pictures during our next visit. I’m looking forward to it.
Personally I’m doing fine. I’m patiently waiting to hear some good news from the U.S Supreme Court. I’m ready to go home and begin the rest of my life..
They moved me back into my old cell yesterday evening.
This morning I went outside and played a few games of basketball. ..and got plenty of exercise…:)”

My eyes blur with unshed tears as I read this hand written note from Troy. I notice that he has this endearing habit of signing his name as Mr. Troy Davis. It had made me smile when I had read it for the first time.
His hand writing is large and sprawling but meticulous. He does not forget to put a smiley face and he does not forget to say “God Bless You” when he ends.

Just last week, I sent him a hand painted card for his birthday on the 9th.

I wrote the following on many blogs including my own website-

Troy Davis turns 40 today - and he still waits for some reason to celebrate this day.
As a kid he loved G.I. Joe and got many of those figurines for his birthday, recalls sister Martina Correia. Birthdays were fun events in the family backyard with cake, ice cream and hot dogs and some nice gifts. Martina was not around when Troy turned 16, a special birthday for any teenager but sent him gifts while training in the Military. Little would she know that his 21st birthday would be behind bars and on death row.

A maximum security prison is hardly the perfect haven to celebrate a special occasion. That too of inmates whose spirit is being broken through isolation, bad nutrition, and a non productive life style.

The only exceptions are July 4th when they get hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate Independence day, or when a convict is executed. Then the guards get a special barbecue meal. When an inmate receives a lot of cards they may just acknowledge the birthday briefly as the guards read the mail. Once a month they rent a DVD and the inmates can watch a movie. There is a TV which is controlled by the guards and the inmates can watch that.

They were allowed unlimited books-not any more. Now its seven, the number of visitors too has been cut down drastically and there are not many activities except for a short outing in an enclosed area with a basketball hoop where they can shoot baskets on concrete floors.

“Many inmates have diabetes and hypertension because of the food they get to eat,” says Martina. “There are many inmates with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, and don’t get medical treatment. The inmates have to pay 5 dollars each time they visit the doctor and if there is no family to finance them, then they remain untreated unless they are dying.”

Last year a death row inmate died of cancer and a major news paper reported it as-death row inmate escapes death by dying of cancer.” Ironic.
The winter months are harsh. The inmates sleep with 4-5 thin military style blankets, the heating is inadequate. “Last year to conserve energy, they cut off the hot water daily from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and so many people fell sick taking cold baths. If someone sends you money, they charge you a dollar per month as tax in he prison. The inmate has to buy everything from the prison store, so that the prison can make some money.”

Martina says her family has never been far away from Troy. They used to send Troy 3-4 boxes of things that he could use, but now its been cut to one 15 pound box once a year. Martina and her family has visited Troy for every birthday, and every holiday they could. They have sent individual cards from each family member and friend. Cards that said-even though he is across the miles, he is with them. “We have a present under the Christmas tree for Troy each year. The pile is waiting for him, when he comes back. My mother still wakes up at 6 a.m. every Sunday to cook an elaborate Sunday dinner as if she is still cooking for a houseful of growing kids. Troy used to love her cooking and ate everything!”

The US Supreme Court had asked for more time to look at the information before it gave its decision on Tuesday, the 14th of October.

Today October 14th the highest court in the country proved that it chose technicality over humanity, and denied Troy’s appeal. They handed their decision without a comment said one newspaper. The Washington Post however had this to say-“In refusing to hear a full appeal, the court maintained the high bar it has set for assertions of innocence following convictions in capital cases. Georgia now can set a new date for Davis's execution, because the court's stay expires with today's order.”

The highest bar? Even if it meant killing a possibly innocent man?

There is no closure for the MacPhail family, says Mark MacPhail’s mother. Forgiveness brings a closure like no other, but when we lose a loved one, we forget everything but the need for revenge.

Since then I have sat numb with shock. I didn’t have the courage to call Martina and just sent her a text message, until I could compose myself. Troy is a brave man-his sister Martina redefines the word courage.

I’m unfortunately not as brave nor do I have the kind of faith that they do-and so I crumble….Life teaches you many lessons through example..I’m afraid I just don’t understand this one..

Why don’t we get help for Depression?

At first it was just a headline

Unemployed man kills five members of family, then shoots self

I was talking to a couple of friends on a conference call, when the news flashed before my eyes. As I read the headline out aloud, one of them said-“Must be one of those lower middle class Americans behind on payments. The other said, “Or maybe he lost a lot of money in the stock market.”

As I clicked on the link to open the story, it turned out that the man, Karthik Rajaram, had an MBA in finance, had worked for Sony and Price Waterhouse, and lived in a house worth just under a million dollars in a gated community. He had been unemployed for a few months, and in a premeditated plan, killed his 19 year old son a Fulbright scholar and Honors student at UCLA,who was home for the weekend, two younger sons aged 9 and 7, his wife and his mother in law before turning the gun on himself. And he was from India.

India? Both my friends gasped- What? India?

Indeed, this so called model minority that is known for its super achieving academicians and is among the most affluent in America, also has a dark side-that of struggling to keep up pretences, of always worrying about what would people say, and not seeking help/

There is denial-What? I’m not mad. Why should I go for counseling? There is fear- What if anyone finds out?

Evidently Rajaram, too did not seek help. Instead he bought a gun last month, wrote three detailed notes, see sawed between killing himself and killing every member of his family. He chose the latter. Perhaps he thought he would have peace of mind if they all went with him.

I looked at the story and felt incredible sadness and anger. What right does a human being have, to snuff out 5 other lives against their will? Why should they pay the price of one man’s anguish and depression.

But it’s not an easy question to answer. The close ties that bind an Indian family and the responsibilities that come with it can often be back breaking. Add to that the time bound expectation that it’s the man who is the main bread winner. In trying times, when a crisis sweeps you off your feet, the sense of failing all those expectations are over whelming and can result in such tragedies.

I also realized as I sat thinking-it’s really not just an Indian problem. The sense of shame and inadequacy someone feels when they don’t meet expectations-of others close to them or their own cuts through barriers of color, race and cultures.

Another thing that is a continuous refrain is the sentence that I read-it said, the family kept to themselves and seemed like nice people. This lack of inclusiveness that I see in society today seems to be a big reason why people are lonely and depressed-angry and frustrated.

I remember growing up in India and the entire sub division was our extended family. Every one knew how everyone else was. People chipped in to help each other in times of need and joined the revelry on every happy occasion.

Do we have to face such extreme tragedies to really appreciate what is truly important in life or will we all continue to run helter skelter popping sedatives to sleep, another pill to wake up, and chew anti depressants like candy.

Something is really really wrong with the way we live today..

Meeting Troy Davis: A Lesson in Faith and Forgiveness

Last Friday the 26th, I was under the surgeon’s scalpel undergoing surgery.

Three days later, I drag myself out of bed and a friend drives me to the Georgia Diagnostic Classification Prison, a maximum security prison in Jackson GA, about 90 minutes away from Atlanta where close to 1800 male inmates live behind bars, many of them on death row. I’m going to meet Troy Anthony Davis- the man whose case I took up on 3rd September and whose cause I have supported since then with an intensity that has surprised me.

As we turn into the entrance of the prison we pass beautifully landscaped gardens, a lake, a park and beautiful little houses sprinkled along that lush greenery down a long and winding road. It is one of the most peaceful, scenic places you could find. The sound of children laughing as they play permeates the air. I guess the homes belong to the caretakers of the prison. It is also something none of the inmates ever get to see.

A fork appears and the instructions tell you to turn left and drive towards the prison. The velvety green grass, awash with rays of the setting sun, fades from view and we approach the gray concrete building. We park and as I begin walking towards the entrance doors, I’m surprised to see a police woman, with kind eyes, welcome me with the warmest smile. And then I hear someone calling my name.

I turn around to see Martina Correia, Troy Davis’s tall, elegant and lovely sister, holding her 8 month old niece, as her son Antone and her mom Virginia, get out of their car along with a friend to head inside.

The place is guarded like a ..well like a prison! Enter through door number I and you are welcomed by metal detectors. I’m only allowed to take my ID, and some one dollar bills and quarters for the vending machines. They do not let me even take the little transparent Ziploc bag, I have the money in. One more door and we hand our IDs, collect a token that we must return to get our ID back.

We walk through yet another door to get our hands stamped with a number to indicate we are visitors and not inmates. Then we walk along a tunnel like corridor which Martina tells me is underground. That means none of the inmates get to see daylight. She says in winter they have to put humidifiers along the corridors, or the dampness spills through. There are several photos with inspirational phrases hanging on the walls in the corridor, but not too many inmates see that wall either unless they are being released.

We pass an elevator for the handicapped which seldom works according to Martina. A couple of days ago they had to literally carry two relatives up the flight of stairs that leads to the waiting area where you first get seated before you can meet the inmate you’ve come to visit.

But first you have to put your hand under a machine so it can read the stamp and record your arrival as visitor. You have to put it through the machine again on your way out as well.

There are already many people in the waiting area to see Troy Davis when I arrive with the family. This visit today, the 29th of September was supposedly his farewell visit, in case the US Supreme Court turns down his appeal for a new trial when they returned to session. The Supreme Court decides it won’t give its verdict this Monday. It could be this Wednesday or later.

We were all unsure whether the visitation would happen now that Troy has a reprieve. The prison decides to let it happen, since there are some people who have flown in from out of town to meet Troy-a Professor from Washington DC, an award winning documentary film maker, several other loving friends.

Troy is waiting in a narrow cell like waiting room, with a heavy locked door being guarded by two tall and burly guards. At any given time only 5 people can meet with him. Martina’s family is very generous and as soon as they go in to greet him, Martina is out in a few minutes asking me to go in and meet him.

Troy Davis is dressed in a white shirt and white pants, and he has sneakers on his feet-and not the flip flops they give prisoners about to be executed. He gets up when he sees me and the first thing that strikes me as he gives me a big warm hug, is that I’m looking into the gentlest, kindest face, with honey brown eyes that are full of genuine warmth, intelligence and a smile that is still very childlike and innocent. It’s a strong gut feel but in that moment I know that supporting Troy Davis’s case was the right thing to have done.

I believe that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. And when I look into someone’s eyes they tell me instantly what this person is all about. There is nothing shifty eyed about Troy Davis. He looks at you straight in the eye when he talks. He is utterly calm, and serenity emanates from him.

I have had a lengthy conversation with him on the 21st on the phone about so many different things, but one of the things I had asked him was whether he had been afraid, or worried when he came within 23 and a half hours of being executed last July. He had responded, “I think I didn’t know what faith really was until last year. I asked the lord to take away all my fears and my worries and carry me through this and give me the strength I need to endure this. The day before my scheduled execution I don’t remember exactly what had happened but I wasn’t worried about anything. It was as if the thought of being executed 24 hours later never crossed my mind that day. I was having fun as though it was just a regular day in my life. God had erased all those fears and it was not until a couple of months later when someone asked me how did it feel, in those 24 hours before they had scheduled to kill you and I stopped to think about it. It dawned on me that yes you are right; I actually came 23 and half hours before death. I thought about it a little bit more and I think all I can say is that I finally found out what faith is.”

That night I had asked him if he still had the same faith as he sat talking to me barely 2 days to go before his supposed execution on the 23rd, a year later. He had said without a moment’s hesitation-“ Yes”.

Tonight as we sit face to face, I asked him to recall the moments of the 23rd of September when he came within 90 minutes of being executed.

Troy says he was totally at peace just like the last time. Usually he needs blood pressure medicine because he has had a tendency to high blood pressure, but that morning when the nurse checked she got a perfect reading. “When she said I had the perfect reading,” recalled Troy, “I pointed upwards and said because of that. And she didn’t quite get it as she stared up at the ceiling vacantly. I said, it’s because God is carrying my burdens.”

Troy says he had prayed on that day that the US Supreme Court protects him. When the Georgia Supreme Court said they couldn’t do a thing, it didn’t faze him. “I had already forgotten about the Georgia judicial system. It really didn’t bother me.” I start laughing when Troy says very tongue in cheek that they took away his shaving razor that day. “I was like- what do you guys think-that I’m gonna do? Kill myself- a few hours before my supposed execution? I had 19 years to do that. I’m the wrong man if you think that may happen!’ He was taken to see the gurney where he was to be strapped and executed. He walked in and all he saw were butterflies floating around in a surreal way. Troy had earlier shared stories of some personal miracles that he had seen in his life-but the greatest one was to occur that day a few hours later.

The family came to visit. No one talked about death and dying. The conversation was about his birthday on 9th October, fun and laughter, until the last 30 minutes which Martina tells me were the fastest on the planet to whizz by. Troy says after they left, he was later taken to record his final statement. “I mentioned to each loved one what I liked most about them and gave instructions on how to continue. I asked that they pray for the MacPhail family that they find peace and understanding because they too have suffered all these years. That they find the real killer.I did not say I will miss you. I said I will see you soon. As the statement was done, I looked up at the TV which had its back towards me and it was turned around, so I could see the screen-and I saw my face staring at me and the news that the US Supreme Court had stayed the execution.” Troy called his sister from the prison to tell her the good news while she was outside with family and Rev Al Sharpton, the famous civil rights leader.

Rev Sharpton had come to visit Troy on the 20th-and that was the first time Troy Davis saw grass in 19 years. He was taken from a different door-and was so enraptured he forgot everything and walked on it, touched it and the guards let him. He talks about the feeling being euphoric, without a trace of self pity. And I think to myself-when was the last time, I looked at grass that way. How in the maddening hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we forget to really live, to love, and give thanks for so many of God’s creations, and God’s blessings.

I look at the guards who are letting us in and out of the meeting cell. They stand there poker faced, but when you talk to them, you see a kindness, and a warmth that permeates through their seemingly hard exteriors. I’m told most of them have a lot of admiration and love for Troy, who is respectfully addressed as Mr. Davis. I see the warmth with which Martina is received by the police woman ushering us in.

I think of the former Indian Police chief Kiran Bedi who introduced meditation in one of the most notorious prisons in India and saw the inmates transform into loving, productive human beings. I hear from Troy how here, they try to break every one’s spirit before executing them. I hear about death row inmates from San Quentin calling Martina and praying for her brother. Yes those killers and sinners we have condemned to die whenever that happens. They cry when they hear Martina’s mother talk to them lovingly-many who have lost their own mothers, or have mothers who don’t visit them any more.

Martina wishes the MacPhail family had been allowed to interact with hers. She wishes they had come to know who Troy Davis really is. But that exclusiveness, spills out beyond the incarceration of Troy Davis. How often do we travel to the same destination and yet try not to make eye contact with our fellow passengers. How often have we all sat apathetic and passive, watching something bad happen to someone else, and not done a thing? We only react when it happens to us.

No one is born a killer, or a criminal from his mother’s womb. Circumstances make us act in certain ways. Most crimes are crimes of passion, so is an eye for an eye the answer for changing this world-of transforming humanity?

I know today I’m firmly against the death penalty. I wasn’t 3 weeks ago. I am a better human being today than I was 3 and half weeks ago-the Troy Davis case has been the catalyst that has changed not just the way I look at the death penalty, but the way I look at injustice, at crime and criminals and the way I look at life and fellow beings.

Troy's life and how he has lived it so far in spite of these badly lit, closed spaces, untouched by sunlight or any positive life or energy force, has taught me a lesson on how faith and forgiveness can really set you free from fear and self doubt. That the mind is a tremendously powerful thing, and makes you boundless and free from boundaries- and that faith can really move mountains.

And it took a death row inmate to teach me that godliness, and purity of soul can be found in the oddest of places…

Between Life and Execution: The Troy Davis Story

His name is Troy Anthony Davis and he is a Black man from Savannah Georgia on death row for close to 20 years. I'm neither pro nor anti-death penalty. I believe it should be decided on the case by case basis. And this is one case where I believe that this man does not deserve to die.

This is a story of what can possibly happen to you and me if we were to end up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Add a screwed up legal system, and a dash of racism, and it could be a life in a maximum security prison, with years of no redemption.

But, don’t go by his name and the color of the skin. Read this story also because it could be that one time, your activism may be the difference between life and death.

Before their life began to unravel in 1989, the Davis family lived their American dream in a middle class neighborhood, in Savannah Georgia. Troy was a good student, a caring brother who nursed a paralyzed sister back to health after dropping out of day school but graduating with Honors after attending night school.

Troy was always the peace maker, says Martina his sister, the problem solver in a conflict when people were fighting.

19 August 1989-Bill Clinton was celebrating a birthday but that night, in Savannah, near the Greyhound Bus station, events were unfolding that would forever change the lives of two families.

The sequence of events remain murky and sticky like that night, and stories have changed several times since then, as years and continuous media reports add to new twists and turns. But what has not changed is the fact that a young 27 year old Police Officer, Mark Allen MacPhail, lost his life in a senseless, brutal murder and Troy Davis was the young man who supposedly did it.

Macphail’s senseless murder angered the police officers to such an extent that they had “Shoot to kill” orders as pictures of Troy, now rechristened the cop killer, and already condemned to being guilty even before he had been questioned flashed across the airwaves.

No murder weapon was found and there is no DNA or any other physical evidence linking Troy Davis to the murder or to an earlier shoot out that night which injured another young man Michael Cooper. Davis’s conviction came because of the testimony of nine so called eye witnesses. Leading the eye witness Parade was Sylvester “Redd” Coles. Coles has been described by many who know him as a fearsome neighborhood thug. Other eye witnesses were either those who claimed to be present at the shooting or near the crime scene and those who claimed Troy had confessed to them that he had killed Mark Macphail. What came to light soon after was the fact that Sylvester Coles supposedly had a similar .38 caliber gun, which had killed the police officer. Affidavits submitted much later from 3 people who did not testify at the Davis trial also claim that Coles, confessed to killing the officer after Davis was convicted.

Martina says she is convinced that the Police knew Troy was innocent, “but they had already turned the wheels in motion. Our family was never allowed inside the courtroom during the trial. They were able to be there only on the day he had been convicted and the prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.” She also believes Coles is the one the Police should be questioning. “I talked to some body who knows Coles and who calls me to tell me where he is and I was told that when he is drunk he brags about the murder and no body does anything about it.”

Seven of the 9 eye witnesses have recanted their testimony since then citing police coercion. Several members of the jury who had sentenced Troy to death, have sent sworn statements saying the jury’s decision was based on incomplete and unreliable evidence. The murky timeline of the events of that night, the recanted eye witness statements, have ensured there is nothing black and white about this case. Add to that accusations of Police being blind sided by the intense pressure to find the killer of a fellow officer, and police coercion, and the plot thickens even more.

Martina says that there is no reason for these eye witnesses to come forward now. They are not related to each other, they don’t cross paths, and they don’t work together. Why would they stick their necks out now and deal with all the hassles that go with it?

By now most people would think that there was enough in the case for it to be granted a retrial, but Troy Davis’s life is caught up in legal knots that has many wondering about an urgent need for reforming Georgia’s judicial system.

This lack of diligence combined with the anti terrorism and death penalty act signed by Clinton in 1996, and the Georgia Resource center, (that provides lawyers to death row inmates) crumbling under massive budget cuts resulted in the inability to investigate Troy’s case until after the expiration of the statute of limitations on new evidence.

Most people who have followed the case, or researched it say the evidence, the way the case was handled, the recanting, and the legal jargon, makes it all very confusing and unclear

One thing however stands out very clearly for most people aware of the case. If Troy Davis is executed, the justice system would have failed.

Troy Davis will die on the 23rd of September if the Georgia State Parole Board does not change its mind and commute his sentence. They are the sole body vested with the powers to deny or decide to execute a death row inmate.

Martina thinks that the internet, the international interest and the intervention of Amnesty International has managed to make everyone take a second look at the case, or Troy would have been put to death long ago.

What has been interesting to see is that many prominent personalities who are pro death penalty have pleaded on Troy’s behalf. The reason for that is the question that every one has begun to ask-is the justice system in Georgia functioning as it should? This case has raised issues that affect far more people than Troy Davis.

The execution date has again been set for September 23rd.

Update: 9/13/2008

In an exclusive interview Martina Correia said that the rally held to show support for Troy Davis on 9/11/2008 was a huge success. Sahil Khatod says that this was in spite of the fact that this rally had been planned a day after the US Supreme court was to look at the case, on the 29th of this month. The fact that the execution date was suddenly announced to be the 23rd was to upset the preparations, but every one chipped in and hundreds of people showed up for the rally in spite of only a few days available to get it organized. Sahil who went to several events to raise awareness and distribute thousands of flyers for the event that was to have thousands of supporters, says this was still an amazing event.

Martina adds “We had representatives from many organizations present-from Amnesty International, NAACP, ACLU and others, and we had people honking their cars asking that we put posters on their windows. We ran out of T-shirts for Troy." Troy spoke about his innocence on Martina's cell phone, during the rally.

The next morning when Martina, her lawyers and witnesses appeared before the Parole Board, she says the only thing she found a bit strange was the fact that the new Chair person Gale Buckner was being nice unlike the last time when she came across as hostile. Witness after witness came forward to talk about police and prosecutorial coercion and misconduct. At one point when one of the witnesses said how she was asked not to change her story then by the Prosecutors for fear of perjury, Martina says Gale Buckner got very agitated and said to the witness, are you telling me you lied then?" The witness said, “Yes I was lying and I told the prosecutors it wasn’t Troy.

Martina adds, “The Board had enough information the first time to know that this case was full of inconsistencies and this time around compounded with all that they heard, it was more than enough not just to commute his sentence but to pardon Troy. Buckner also told me that the Board will not be making any decision for the next 3-4 days because they have so much information to go through. It was shocking for me then to be called in barely 30 minutes after the Prosecutors had come out after presenting their case, to find out that they had a typed statement ready and had called a press conference to say that they were denying clemency to Troy.

My lawyers told me it was obviously a premeditated decision and the statement had already been typed in advance. So they just went through this fake motion of having a clemency hearing. I think they cut some backdoor deal with the Prosecutors before hand and since the Board is not accountable for its decisions they can do whatever they want. This is the election year and they want this case out of the way, but they don’t realize what they have done. They have lit the fire under themselves. All the organizations are in conference this weekend and we are also requesting all the people to please write letters/emails and faxes to the US Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s office and the President, to ask for this case to be reopened and re-tried. We want to shame Georgia and the Parole Board into realizing this kind of ingrained racism cannot go on. Even if they thought Troy was guilty before, they have enough evidence to know this is not a case beyond a reasonable doubt to execute him. It is unprecedented, ever in criminal history that 7 out of the 9 witnesses would recant their testimony, and they still think that is not enough to give him clemency? We want to bring to light how the Parole Board works. They have to explain how they arrived at this decision. I want the grass roots community and the national press to give their support. We are not giving up. So far the justice system has failed us and we cannot let this go unnoticed.”

Martina went to see Troy today and said he was reading his Bible and said he will pray harder and not let anything deter him from his faith in God. “ He does not want to be a martyr, he does not want to die for something he didn’t do, but he knows there is a possibility they will go ahead and he said-what can they do? They can only take my physical body away from me-nothing beyond that. He was more concerned about us, and the people all over the world who have supported him.”

Troy’s lawyers are looking at all options at this time. The Parole Board can re open this case and re review their decision. It is really important for everyone to continue writing to the Board condemning this decision. Please support this effort. Contact your local political and social organizations and leaders. Injustice is color blind and the more apathy we show, the more we make ourselves vulnerable to something similar happening to us, if we happened to be in the wrong place-at the wrong time.

Please go HERE, and read the whole story। Please send emails to the Parole board। The information is given in the article.

Thanks.