OJ making his case for parole

[_Dr. Shades]

You want a list? I can make one for you.

Yes, please.

[_Jersey Girl]

You want a list? I can make one for you.

Yes, please.

Stream of consciousness and conflicting thoughts alert. ;-)

I wrote: What an interesting and perplexing world we live in.

OJ Simpson, son of a drag queen, gang member in the projects. College educated, professional football career. Chased the American Dream and he got it. Escapes a guilt verdict on 2 murders, ends up in prison on a robbery conviction. Now 70 years old and in spite of the fact that I believe he committed the murders, I do think he has the ability to do some good in this world as a motivational speaker or mentor to inmates and juvenile offenders. I keep reminding myself he's not in prison on murder charges. In spite of the reasoning of the Goldman family (I can't blame them) he has a legal right to a parole hearing and my position as Christian is not to judge in a country where the judicial system is predicated on a jury system that really does put me in a position to judge, though not render the final judgement in a trial.

Remember you asked for the list...while I keep going.

Sen. John McCain POW, life of service and sacrifice as I mentioned prior on a thread. Now diagnosed with the worst possible brain cancer that exists. His gung ho spirit makes him want to go back to work, likely because he believes in carrying out his commitment when he'll probably not last a full year, more likely will be gone from this earth in months. And I wonder...why him? (Keep reading)

A young acquaintance of mine here is currently in a medically induced coma with TBI. I think of his family, "good Christians" and think of him, their hardship, the strain they're all under. And I wonder...why him? Why does it have to be him? (Keep reading)

And I ask myself "Then who would you wish it on?"

Little Charlie Gard over in the UK. The court system having assumed custody of the child, while the parents try to fight the battle of their life for his life, knowing that the outcome likely won't provide a miracle but still, they want a chance. All these folks criticizing them for their efforts. When they aren't in love with Charlie Gard.

The US who cannot even get the status of it's own health care system sure as heck can move mountains when they want to--for Charlie Gard. What about the rest of us? Do my relatives on Medicaid not deserve access to good health care? Why do they have to wait for an answer and relief to their concerns while Charlie Gard's parents don't have to?

The underlying theme (though it might not be clear and apparent) is me judging myself judging others. Some small part of me (I lied, it's a big part of me) has a tendency to look at all of the above and wonder... why them? Why him? Why? Why couldn't it be OJ who has the brain tumor or TBI? Why isn't OJ desperate about his child? Why isn't OJ worried sick about his ability to access health care?

And then I think that OJ (who was found not guilty in a murder case and yet, found liable in a civil suit) is in a position to put something good into this world and what Christian believer would wish any of the above on anyone? And if he is in a position to do some good, they should probably let the man out of prison and show the world what he's made of.

I hope you didn't expect any of this to make consistent thought. There are time when the world doesn't make sense to me in terms of justice and I think the only conclusion that I can reach is that the only thing we have any control over is doing justice to each other.

Bring on the board shrinks!

[_Dr. Shades]

So, the statement "What an interesting and perplexing world we live in" had no real connection to the title of this thread.

[_Jersey Girl]

Don't talk to me, I'm not done yet.

OJ Simpson is asking for freedom and while I believe that he slaughtered the crap out of two human beings, I have to believe that he deserves a chance at redemption.

John McCain doesn't need a chance to redeem himself. And yet he is driven to go back to work, make a contribution, and "finish the job" I guess, even though he's got a form of brain cancer that is going to obliterate him in a short time.

Charlie Gard will never live a normal life span though he does have a chance at more time. My young acquaintance, who had so much potential, may never be able to live normally again and could in fact die from his injuries any moment.

And yet, all of these stories have the power to influence us in both positive and negative ways. We can choose to let them make us cynical and spiteful, or choose to let ourselves consider the possibilities and learn not to judge anything or anyone else but ourselves.

“Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.” ~ Sirius Black, POA.

Pay me no mind. It's been a long week already of tears and prayer.

[_Jersey Girl]

So, the statement "What an interesting and perplexing world we live in" had no real connection to the title of this thread.

Okay, you can talk to me now. ;-)

It had everything to do with the title of this thread. The live stream of OJ making his case was the catalyst for everything I wrote about here. Everything. It's what got the ball rolling, such as it was.

[_Jersey Girl]

And OJ has been granted parole...

[_Jersey Girl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p26HElWXhl0

Here it is.

[_Jersey Girl]

Random comment nabbed off Facebook.

A smiling murderer.... wonderful example of justice....somewhere

And while that may be true (and I can't help thinking that myself) he was not convicted of murder in a criminal case nor was he in prison for murder.

Human nature again.

[_Lemmie]

I do think he has the ability to do some good in this world as a ...mentor to... juvenile offenders.

oh dear god NO.

while I believe that he slaughtered the crap out of two human beings, I have to believe that he deserves a chance at redemption.

why?

I keep reminding myself he's not in prison on murder charges.

That's why he doesn't deserve "a chance at redemption."

And no, I'm not talking about the robbery case any more than you were when you said that you "believe that he slaughtered the crap out of two human beings...."

[_Jersey Girl]

while I believe that he slaughtered the crap out of two human beings, I have to believe that he deserves a chance at redemption.

why?

Lemmie,

The second post was a continuation of the first, "I'm not done yet." Read the post I made just before that one, particularly how Christianity plays a part in the whole stream of consciousness where all of the situations seem to converge in my thinking right now.

That's why.