Thank you for this wonderful post, Josh. Last night’s murder says all one needs to know about this racist, heartless, hateful society. Thanks for honoring the man!
We can create new. We must. For Marcellus Kaliifah Williams, George Floyd, the children of Palestine, of Lebanon, for the lynched with names we do not know, for the Native Americans … how long this list could be. How long will it be allowed? Thank you Josh.
I just listened to a listener-sponsored media outlet (KPFA.org) about the depraved evil trying to erase the people of Palestine, and now attacking Lebanon too. This evil is not a specific country, or a specific court, or a specific individual officer. This is a sickness that infiltrates the souls of those who would allow it, and have neither the strength nor the will to free themselves of it. They are, truly, the incarcerated ones.
Bravo and thanks Josh for holding Marcellus in the light.
I agree fully. Individually, we can't allow this system to turn us into barbarians, and we have to change it.
It's appalling that South Carolina has brought back the firing squad. How regressive can our system get?
And I love these words:
"the ways we relate to one another aren’t just based on if I like you, or if you like me – they are based on the contours of the world we live in. If this society builds bigger prisons, more prisons, we will fill them. If we instead build more and better community centers, we will fill those too. If we create bigger, more welcoming and exciting and free public universities, those too will swell with students. We must embed the social life we want for this society into the built environment. That takes investment, it takes organizing, and it takes power.
It also takes the shifting of hearts and minds. The material is not separate from the ideological."
That sentence stuck out to me, too, Diana. I met a woman who was a high school guidance counselor in a major U.S. city who talked about making 'families' out of the troubled kids she dealt with, and when I asked her what she did for those whose own problematic families provided little incentive to join a new one and only needed to be respected as individual human beings that deserved that respect by right of birth without having to join some sort of gang, she and her gang have continuously tried to make me regret the affront (neo libs taking the 'Next Door' anti-Walz 'Mind Your Own Business' ethos too far). It begins and ends with respect. For everyone. Period. That's how welcoming everyone regardless of what they can do for you and stopping the abuse of others less powerful begins, IMHO.
Thanks. I read this last night and I'm still trying to reconcile Marcellus' incredible grace juxtaposed with the ignorance and meaningless brutality of the state.
Thank you for telling this story. I've been following Marcellus Williams this past year and am heartbroken over what the state did to him. I called the governor the day before the execution. When I told the staffer how I felt, the defensiveness and disrespect in her voice gave me the sinking feeling that it was over. The state knew he was innocent. They wanted to kill him. They needed someone to punish even though it was the wrong person.
In the past 12 months, evil has truly revealed itself, and it is everywhere. My heart is shattered.
Wow! I just heard the name Marcellus Williams for the first time yesterday-too late for my voice to make a difference. A poet martyr, indeed! May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration of loving anger to end the death penalty, the carceral system and state violence at home and abroad
Thank you for writing about Marcellus and his beautiful poetry. I've saved this piece and don't want to forget him.
I like the notion that the way we relate to another is based on the contours of the world we live in. And your message of hope. We clearly need to do better.
It’s just awful that this poor man was executed. The world has lost someone special if his beautiful poetry is anything to go by. His final statement is beautiful as well. It’s so, so sad that America hasn’t moved on from the days of lynching and cross-bunting at all. Thanks so much for sharing this Josh, and it’s so sad that you have to.
A very insightful piece, thanks for presenting it here. I'm going to send it to a friend of mine who is in AI for his appraisal and comment; hopefully he will be as scathing in its application in the mechanism of murder and destruction as you have been compendious in your forensic analysis
Thank you for this wonderful post, Josh. Last night’s murder says all one needs to know about this racist, heartless, hateful society. Thanks for honoring the man!
We can create new. We must. For Marcellus Kaliifah Williams, George Floyd, the children of Palestine, of Lebanon, for the lynched with names we do not know, for the Native Americans … how long this list could be. How long will it be allowed? Thank you Josh.
Beautiful and heart breaking. An important post. Thank you
I just listened to a listener-sponsored media outlet (KPFA.org) about the depraved evil trying to erase the people of Palestine, and now attacking Lebanon too. This evil is not a specific country, or a specific court, or a specific individual officer. This is a sickness that infiltrates the souls of those who would allow it, and have neither the strength nor the will to free themselves of it. They are, truly, the incarcerated ones.
Bravo and thanks Josh for holding Marcellus in the light.
🤬😢💔
Thanks for such a moving post, Joshua.
I agree fully. Individually, we can't allow this system to turn us into barbarians, and we have to change it.
It's appalling that South Carolina has brought back the firing squad. How regressive can our system get?
And I love these words:
"the ways we relate to one another aren’t just based on if I like you, or if you like me – they are based on the contours of the world we live in. If this society builds bigger prisons, more prisons, we will fill them. If we instead build more and better community centers, we will fill those too. If we create bigger, more welcoming and exciting and free public universities, those too will swell with students. We must embed the social life we want for this society into the built environment. That takes investment, it takes organizing, and it takes power.
It also takes the shifting of hearts and minds. The material is not separate from the ideological."
Thank you.
That sentence stuck out to me, too, Diana. I met a woman who was a high school guidance counselor in a major U.S. city who talked about making 'families' out of the troubled kids she dealt with, and when I asked her what she did for those whose own problematic families provided little incentive to join a new one and only needed to be respected as individual human beings that deserved that respect by right of birth without having to join some sort of gang, she and her gang have continuously tried to make me regret the affront (neo libs taking the 'Next Door' anti-Walz 'Mind Your Own Business' ethos too far). It begins and ends with respect. For everyone. Period. That's how welcoming everyone regardless of what they can do for you and stopping the abuse of others less powerful begins, IMHO.
That's my opinion too, Ashley. Everyone deserves to be treated respectfully.
The Brave New United States of Execution ..they doffed their old KKK robes for suits and ties and sanitised bigotry
Just like the original Nazis.
How about black & white legal robes! All hail to the new KKKlan ….
Thanks. I read this last night and I'm still trying to reconcile Marcellus' incredible grace juxtaposed with the ignorance and meaningless brutality of the state.
Thank you for telling this story. I've been following Marcellus Williams this past year and am heartbroken over what the state did to him. I called the governor the day before the execution. When I told the staffer how I felt, the defensiveness and disrespect in her voice gave me the sinking feeling that it was over. The state knew he was innocent. They wanted to kill him. They needed someone to punish even though it was the wrong person.
In the past 12 months, evil has truly revealed itself, and it is everywhere. My heart is shattered.
Wow! I just heard the name Marcellus Williams for the first time yesterday-too late for my voice to make a difference. A poet martyr, indeed! May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration of loving anger to end the death penalty, the carceral system and state violence at home and abroad
Thank you for writing about Marcellus and his beautiful poetry. I've saved this piece and don't want to forget him.
I like the notion that the way we relate to another is based on the contours of the world we live in. And your message of hope. We clearly need to do better.
The fact that Marcellus Williams wrote poetry for the children of Gaza breaks my heart into even more pieces 💔
It’s just awful that this poor man was executed. The world has lost someone special if his beautiful poetry is anything to go by. His final statement is beautiful as well. It’s so, so sad that America hasn’t moved on from the days of lynching and cross-bunting at all. Thanks so much for sharing this Josh, and it’s so sad that you have to.
Heartbreaking
💔🩸
Hello. I am sure you are interested in spreading the truth! I hope you will find this article vital to share.
https://open.substack.com/pub/amrrageh/p/ai-warfare-fueling-civilian-deaths?r=yvsbe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
A very insightful piece, thanks for presenting it here. I'm going to send it to a friend of mine who is in AI for his appraisal and comment; hopefully he will be as scathing in its application in the mechanism of murder and destruction as you have been compendious in your forensic analysis