By Misty A. Oaks, Esq.
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- The execution of Troy Anthony Davis was nothing more than a modern day lynching of a black man who was convicted of murder on nothing more than what people said and later took back. Like a scene out of the movie Roots, the government of the State of Georgia shackled Troy Anthony Davis and told him, in front of our faces, that his name was Toby and there didn't seem to be anything we could do about it. Rush Limbaugh, Neal Boortz, and other 'speakers' on the matter would have you believe that Troy Davis was not a man worthy of having his life spared. They will tell you that this was a man that was convicted of shooting someone in the face earlier the same day as he was accused of shooting and killing off-duty Savannah police officer Mark McPhail. But whatever he did in his life before or after the events that led to his twenty-year incarceration and subsequent death by lethal injection, matter not one bit. The bottom line is that the reasonable doubt that got Casey Anthony acquitted of murder is the same reasonable doubt that should have saved Troy Anthony Davis from death.
The State of Georgia remained resolute in its decision to execute Troy Davis from the beginning to the end. Seven of the nine witnesses whose testimony formed the basis for Troy Davis' conviction signed sworn affidavits saying they were forced or coerced by Savannah police into offering testimony against Troy Davis. And when those same witnesses recanted their testimony, the State of Georgia offered no apology, no humility, and no remorse for holding a man in prison for twenty-years without just cause. Officer McPhail's widow, mother, children and other family members maintained that Troy Davis was guilty of the murder and were quoted several times as saying of his execution, "That's what we wanted and that's what we got."
Officer McPhail's mother said of those who protested the execution of Troy Davis nationwide, "I think these people are just against the death penalty. They don't know what happened." Well my question to the McPhail family is - how the hell do you know what happened that fateful night? Were you there? No. There was no physical evidence linking Troy Davis to the murder and the State of Georgia refused to allow Troy Davis to take a polygraph test, so you are going off the faulty and forced testimony that was later retracted. Your confidence in his guilt is really just misplaced anger and bitterness at the loss of your loved one, but it is just that - misplaced.
Many marchers and protestors feel dejected that their voices went seemingly unheard. So in many minds, there is no point in standing up against such a formidable, well-rehearsed opponent. But that is what the unjust would have us believe, that we are powerless. That could not be any further from the truth. No matter what the outcome, the reality is that there is strength in numbers and power in unity. Let Troy Davis' execution serve as a reminder to us of how far we've come and how far we've yet to go. Let us be reminded of LQ Ivy, Mary Turner, and the thousands of others who were unjustly and unscrupulously murdered and are now without sanctuary. Let the voices of Malcolm and Martin ring loud and clear in our ears reminding us that the struggle did not end with them and that we still have to "make it to the mountaintop" "by any means necessary." We would be irresponsible to brush Troy Davis' memory under the rug and move on as if there is no lurking threat to our rights and freedoms. We must unite and stand together for justice all over the world, no matter what the cost, lest Troy Davis' death be in vain.
A woman held a sign in protest of Troy Davis' execution outside of President Barak Obama's headquarters in Chicago that said, "Hey Obama, take a stand! Don't let Georgia kill an innocent man! Save Troy Davis." Now I love Barack Obama. I respect him, I admire him, and I pray for him every time I pray. But as for President Obama's 'vow of silence' on the issue, I can say that I am disappointed. I wasn't expecting him to convene a session of Congress or grant a pardon to Davis himself, because legally he couldn't anyway. But he could have said something - anything. President Obama is a lawyer and he knows or should know better than anyone that we are responsible for upholding justice, truth, and order. It is inherent in our job title. And for him to sit silently by while one of his brothers was about to be 'strung up' in the modern sense of the word, and not say anything, to me is even sadder than the execution itself. Some have made excuses for President Obama saying, "Look at the position he's in. He probably couldn't say anything." But that gives one the impression that the leader of the most powerful nation in the world isn't even free enough to speak his own mind in his own country. Far be it for me to judge because heavy lies the head that wears the crown...and he is only one man. But in the words of the Negro National Anthem, we must lift EVERY voice and sing till Earth and Heaven ring with the harmony of liberty. President Obama should have been our choir director, instead of a silent bystander who couldn't even clap his hands.
Attorney Misty Oaks is a writer, a professional speaker, a radio personality, and the owner of The Oaks Firm, which is the premiere loan modifications & strategic default law firm in the Atlanta area. Other practice areas include foreclosure defense and entertainment and business law. The Oaks Firm is now offering seminars, webinars, and other products to educate and empower the masses through this national housing crisis. Please go to www.theoaksfirm.com to learn more about their educational services. Attorney Oaks can be heard from 9am – 10am EST every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on her hit internet radio show The Misty Oaks Experience on www.sensationstationnetwork.com. She is on Facebook and Twitter at: The Oaks Firm and Who Is Misty Oaks?
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