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Contact Me: jacquelyn.k.thompson@hotmail.com

Welcome

Hello and Welcome:

Over the summer of 2010 I began to ask myself, "what do you do if two of our Rights, as citizens of these United States, are diametrically opposed?" I came to the only viable conclusion: you compromise. Our great Nation works when there is compromise.

Right now most of you will agree with me that our political system is broken. What we currently have is: the politics of destruction; special interest groups who have the power and money to dictate policy; politicians who must spend their time raising money for the next election instead of doing the People's business; and, there are those who are so concerned about getting re-elected they cede their responsibilities to the citizenry to those groups making the loudest noises and the greatest threats.


The attacks that we were inundated with during the this election cycle belittled the democratic process. Shame on everyone involved. And, shame on the political obstructionists who are more interested in gaining and maintaining power than doing the people’s business. During these very difficult times all of us should be supporting our President. The challenge for all of us is, how do we improve upon this imperfect union that we call the United States of America? One thing I know for certain...it is not by dividing us.

I can remember when I was sixteen years old there was a day when my father called out to me, "Jackie, come quickly. You have to hear this. It's Winston Churchill. Come listen." I raced to the radio and for the first time heard a recording of Churchill's speech to a Nation standing alone against the greatest evil the world has ever known: "...we shall defend our island no matter what the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; and we shall not surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until in God's good time, the New World, with all it's power and might, steps forth to the rescue and liberation of The Old."


That day my hero was born. Where are our heroes today? jkt

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Capital Punishment

                                                                           

Ohio had not executed a convicted murderer since the seventies. I remember when the killing began again. It was the spring of 2001. I and other people of faith gathered to pray in St. Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Columbus just before the execution was to occur. I was horrified that the State was going to kill a human being in my name. Mind you, I do not forget the victims. Nor do I forgive the murderer. But I refuse to follow the tenet, "an eye for an eye". I  do not wish to participate in barbarism. We, as a civilized Nation, should rise above this.

The company we keep:
Top10 Countries with the highest number of executions by population.
-China 1718
-Iran 346
-Saudi Arabia 102
-USA 37
-Pakistan 36
-Iraq 34
-Vietnam 19
-Afghanistan 17
-North Korea 15
-Japan 15

There were 52 executions in the United States in 2009.
-Texas 24
-Alabama 6
-Ohio 5
-Virginia 3
-Oklahoma  3
-Georgia  3
-Florida 2
-S Carolina  2
-Tennessee 2
-Missouri 1
-Indiana 1
 
There have been 111 people exonerated (freed) while waiting to be executed, and a dozen or so found innocent after execution. http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/deathpenalty/

The death of one innocent man can never be justifed to sate the thirst for revenge.