The Innocent Man at UCO

Earlier in the year my attendance was required at an on campus conference for everyone under the umbrella of Administration and Finance, of which Housing had recently become a part.  One of the main objectives of the conference (other than “inspiring” us via “ispirational” speakers) was to have us intermingle with the various departments on campus, as was evidenced by our assigned seating at tables with complete strangers.  During one particularly cheesy inspirational speech, we were told to go around our table and share an experience that had greatly impacted our lives.  My cynicism soon turned to pure fascination as one of the ladies at my table volunteered her story.  It turned out that back in the 80s her brother had been wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife.  Greg Wilhoit was sentenced to death, and lived on death row five years before his appeal was heard and conviction overturned.  The death penalty had always fascinated me, and I was shocked to meet someone so deeply affected by it.  My curiousity prompted a long discussion between the two of us later that day, and Nancy even gave me a DVD with the 20 20 and American Justice news stories about her brother.  John Grisham’s non-fiction book, “The Innocent Man, Murder and Injustice in a Small Town,” chronicles the conviction and near execution of Ron Williamson, another Oklahoma man wrongly convicted.  Ron’s cell happened to be just accross from Greg’s, whose story also finds a place in Grisham’s book. 

The death penalty concerns me for many reasons, the possible execution of innocent people being one of them.  Add to that the astronomical cost of death penalty litigation and the fact that minority convicts are more likely to get the death penalty than whites, and my concern grows.  And then there’s the question of whether or not it even deters crime.  Even if the state has legitimate authority to put a person to death, should it?  I know I’m a little Derek Webb obsessed, but there’s another quote that fits.  “How can I kill the ones I’m supposed to love?  My enemies are men like me.  I will protest the sword if it’s not weilded well.  My enemies are men like me.  Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication.  It’s like telling someone murder is wrong and then showing them by way of execution.”

Last week I was thrilled to notice a blurb in Centralities (the daily UCO faculty/staff campus news email) about Greg Wilhoit speaking at UCO tomorrow night.  Sadly, I’m already in Texas for Thanksgiving, but I thought I’d pass along the info for anyone else interested.  Seriously, someone needs to go and tell me all about it!  From Centralities:

‘The Innocent Man’ Greg Wilhoit Visits Campus, Nov. 20

The College of Liberal Arts Speaker’s Series welcomes “The Innocent Man” Greg Wilhoit for a lecture on his five-year death row experience and life after exoneration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, in Pegasus Theater, Liberal Arts. Wilhoit was the first person in Oklahoma to be exonerated from death row.

Wilhoit’s story was told in last year’s novel “The Innocent Man” by John Grisham. For more information, visit http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/speakers.htm .

A Beautiful Mask

Evidently I like to make up words.  Last week I was meeting with a group of people, and I mentioned how I sometimes feel fake when talking to international students.  However, I didn’t use the word “fake”; I said “disingenuine.” I soon corrected myself (after being called out on it J) and explained that I meant “disingenuous.”  My point in sharing this somewhat boring anecdote is to say that in my position relating to students on a daily basis (international or American) I sometimes have to play the part. I’m an introvert living an extroverted life.  And while most days I love smiling and greeting every person I see, there are days that it doesn’t come naturally.

 

Like anyone else I suppose, occasionally I’ll run across someone I find especially difficult to relate to.  In such cases I often overcompensate for my lack of interest in or affection toward them, which is when the disingenuousness (Is that a word??) really rears its ugly head.  I used to see my only two options as: 1. acting fake or 2. acting rude.  Recently, however I remembered a lovely story C.S. Lewis recounts in Mere Christianity about true inner transformation.  “The … story is about someone who had to wear a mask; a mask which made him look much nicer than he really was.  He had to wear it for years.  And when he took the mask off he found his own face had grown to fit it.  He was now really beautiful.  What had begun as a disguise had become a reality.”  Lewis goes on to explain, “there are two kinds of pretending.  There is a bad kind, where the pretense is there instead of the real thing; as when a man pretends he is going to help you instead of really helping you.  But there is also a good kind, where the pretense leads up to the real thing.  When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, it to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are.  Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already.”  I am convinced (as was Lewis) that this pretending is not merely human striving, but rather God transforming us into the image of His Son.  I may begin in a pretense of love, but I am praying that God actually change me into a loving person … no longer “disingenuine.” 

A Savior on Capitol Hill

I wouldn’t say I’m a very political person.  Part of that is laziness, and part is disillusionment.  I feel like people who really care about politics believe that politics can change things.  “If we could just elect the right person …”  I suppose I just don’t see politics as the answer to all the world’s problems.  I believe that true change begins with changed people.  And while I am thankful for government, I am also disheartened by its fallibility.  I am reading a book about the kingdom of God, and in the foreword (written by Don Miller) he recounts a conversation with a friend in which his friend says, “when Jesus comes, when Jesus reigns, we will be amazed at how differently and perfectly He governs.”  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

So considering that in the coming months “politics” will be the news of the day, I thought I’d share some lyrics from a man I admire who has quite a lot to say about politics.  (i.e. ”My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man.  My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.  It’s to a King and a kingdom.)  For your reading (and perhaps listening) pleasure: Derek Webb’s “A Savior on Capitol Hill”

I’m so tired of these mortal men

With their hands on their wallets and their hearts full of sin

Scared of their enemies, scared of their friends

And always running for re-election

So come to D.C. if it be thy will

Because we’ve never had a savior on Capitol Hill

 

You can always trust the devil or a politician

To be the devil or a politician

But beyond that friends you’d best beware

‘Cause at the Pentagon bar they’re an inseparable pair

And as long as the lobbyist are paying their bills

We’ll never have a savior on Capitol Hill

 

All of our problems gonna disappear

When we can whisper right in the president’s ear

He could walk right across the reflection pool

In his combat boots and ten thousand dollar suit

 

You can render under to Caesar everything that’s his

You can trust in his power to come to your defense

It’s the way of the world, the way of the gun

It’s the trading of an evil for a lesser one

So don’t hold your breath or your vote until

You think you’ve finally found a savior up on Capitol Hill

Oh, and yay for Derek’s song “Name” gaining quite the audience last night on Grey’s Anatomy.