Strength Through Non-Violence

I've really disturbed by the amount of acquaintances whom I've suddenly learned commiserate with the death penalty. Considering the recent discovery of a 12-year old girl's body who had been murdered through a shocking network of sex rings, I can empathize with the anger and grief people must feel, but I cannot support further violence. When in the entire history of humanity has more violence brought everlasting peace and utopia? Never.

The death penalty, like organized warfare is legitimized state violence that is no better than the unsettling actions committed by the original architect of the crime. To me, it is simple; supporting the death penalty only shows that violence is the answer to solving the most shocking troubles in our society. Kiling more people and building more prisons is a stagnant solution. We are not biting at the core of the issue, which is the deep and hateful seeds of violence, misogyny, objectification, sexism and power that is so omnipresent in our cultural institutions, mainly mass media and entertainment. In a country where over two million of its citizens are in prison and others are murdered for their cimes, I think there is something fundamentally wrong with the way we interact towards each other. Death and imprisonment are not solutions, but oppression. If the death penalty is supposed to be effective, wouldn't people not be committing heinous crimes? And what about the mentally unstable? Are they recieving the care they need, so that they won't lash out violently? Probably not.

I am completely exhausted. I've spent the past week getting last minute recruits to march in Independence Day parades with VT Freedom to Marry and the past three days marching in parades and hosting informational booths in various locations. Its challenging to keep the spirit up when you've only been getting five hours of sleep. I need at least eight. Its been fun working with Sheryl though. Her husband Chris is really cool too. He plays drums and gets along with transvestites. This morning I got a call from a kid who was looking for a roommate on Maple St. just as I was preparing to march in the Brandon parade. I got the room! FUCKING FINALLY. This driving back and forth was starting drive me insane, not to mention the serious price gouging of fossil fuels in the country right now. I'm moving in next thursday apparently. Its a great place. Only a couple blocks from the Church St. marketplace and the RU12 building. Awesome.

On a sad note, my Grandfather died on friday. He had been battling serious illness for the past few months and had been hospotlaized for the past few weeks. I guess he did too much abuse to himself over the years. Too much drinking and smoking. I'm going to miss him. He was always really happy to see me when I came over to their house in Leicester. I have fond memories of the cows he used to have and how one time he took a picture of me in front of one and I just happened to place my head right in front of the cow's head so it looked like I had cow ears. Priceless. I think he wanted me to do that actually. It sure was funny. I just hope my Grandma is doing ok. I havn't talked to her since the last time I visted them in the hospital. Grandpa really hated the hospital. Too sterile for a former farmer and handyman. He really wasn't doing good the past week or so. He was saying alot crazy things and obcessing over mistakes of the past. A few times he didn't even know where he was and seemed to lose all sense of reality. I hope he died peacefully.

I've felt kind of lonely lately. Hopefully that'll change in Burlington. I need to hang out with some heterosexual girls. Everybody I've been around lately is a lesbian or married heterosexual woman. Thats not bad. I just want to flirt I guess.