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Untitled's avatar

Thanks for this. I miss him too.

Ashley Lande's avatar

I know this is about Mike and it's a lovely tribute, but I had never heard of John Paul Penry so I looked up him and the case, and I'm totally convinced he was putting on an act and is not severely retarded at all. Sad he became a cause celebre for anti-dp activists. The young girl he raped and stabbed to death was not shown such mercy. I sincerely hope his Bible reading has led him to repentance.

Paul's avatar

“Nevertheless, in a man’s final act of despair, all who drove him to that end are implicated, whether by their speech or their failure to speak.” I can’t help but feel like this is a stretch. Of one doesn’t speak up the way you think they should they are complicit in a suicide? Perhaps I am not properly understanding this excerpt? Thanks for sharing!

Bethel McGrew's avatar

In Mike's case he really was hounded/witch-hunted unjustly, and more people should have defended him. Even though he's ultimately to blame they created the unjust circumstances. (I believe that's true for Mike in a way it wasn't true for Jason Arday by the way, unless you make the argument that all the people who initially propped him up are implicated, which has some merit.)