today
Geoff Bullock writes on this thread in response to the hanging of Nguyen Tuong Van.
today
today i saw my reflection
and i recoiled in shame
i saw my soul in singapore
as humanity chose to blame
i saw my face in the anger
of those who turned to hate
those whose hearts had turned to stone
adding scorn to the debate
i saw my soul hanging dead
cold, lifeless and alone,
a mother’s tears, her tragic sons
a cricket match back home.
i read the charge upon my life
as i hated the ungrace
and realised that i’d joined the mob
with an executioner’s face.
i see my heart as blackened coal
i see a dirty muddied soul
i’ve lost my hope of being whole
have mercy Lord on me.
December 4th, 2005 at 9:55 pm
Thanks for your compassionate and honest reflection Geoff. I have read some posts that seem quite insensitive about Nguyen Tuong Van - reflecting the executioner’s face that you describe. Ungrace - how easy it is for us to engage in ungrace towards others as we yearn for the opposite for ourselves.
December 4th, 2005 at 10:09 pm
Thank you Christina. Your words mean an ocean to us all.
As I said before: I love your name… “Christ in a ….”
December 4th, 2005 at 10:37 pm
thanks also from me.
Hope is another dimemsion - the head of the good shepherd in singapore standing up and demanding change - almost unheard of;hope for a new mobilisation for and end to the brutality of hanging;hope for a renewed attack on the big boys who profit;hope in the words of the talkback callers who’d lost sons and daughters but who saw no reason for another death;the space,the spirit,the cries and the weeping of the old and the young in the church in richmond is hope.
Again thanks
December 5th, 2005 at 7:24 am
Hey thanks Geoff! My name means follower of Christ, or anointed one. I seek the first meaning with all that is within me, but I am not sure about the second one - that is not much about me and a lot about God. I do not come from a Christian family and sort of grew into faith in my mid teens. I think that my name just confirms that God has his hand on me…
December 6th, 2005 at 7:43 am
today
today i saw my reflection
and i recoiled in shame
i saw my soul in the SMH
as humanity chose to blame
i saw my face in the righteous
of those who turned to hate
those whose hearts had turned to stone
quoting scripture in the debate
i saw my soul ignored as dead
my love, rejected and obscene,
a mother’s tears, her tragic sons
no grace for them it seems.
i read the charge upon my life
as i hated the ungrace
and realised that i’d joined the mob
with with a proud and arrogant face.
i see my heart as blackened coal
i see a dirty muddied soul
i’ve lost my hope of being whole
have mercy Lord on me.
December 6th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
Although not about Van, this blog entry by famous cartoonist guy Doug Tennapel gives the right (as in, not left) view on the death penalty:
http://www.tennapel.com/blog/AcceptingHisFate.shtml
December 11th, 2005 at 3:32 am
Attention:
Mr Harry Lee Kuan Yew
———————————————
Ministry of Home Affairs
Changi Prison Complex.
Dear Sir,
1. This is to inform you that the death sentence passed on Lee Hsien Loong will be carried out on 25 Dec 2005. Please refer to http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Global_Secrets_Lies/BurmaSingapore_Drugs.html for further information.
2. We will arrange for additional visits from 19 Dec till 24 Dec 2005. Approved visitors may register for their visits between 8.30am and 9.30am and between 12.30pm and 1.30pm at the Prison Link Centre, Changi (990 Upper Changi Road North Singapore 506968).
3. You are requested to make the necessary funeral arrangements for him, however if you are unable to do so the state will assist in cremating the body.
Please do not hesitate to contact our officers in charge if you have any queries.
Yours Faithfully
Chiam Jia Fong
Superintendent
Institution A1, Cluster 1,
Singapore’s Prison Service.
December 13th, 2005 at 3:27 pm
Radio KFI is broadcasting live from San Quentin prison this afternoon (Australian time) in the lead-up to the imminent execution of multiple murderer Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams.
http://live.eonstreams.com/ccri_ca_losangeles_kfi_am.asf
Lance.
December 13th, 2005 at 4:07 pm
Update, KFI was ordered by its security people to leave the prison 2 hours before the Williams execution, because the safety of the station’s staff could not be guaranteed.