Charlotte,

You have to excuse me for this. I DO NOT mean to make this personal attack against you or your viewpoint. You're entitled to your viewpoint, even if it appears to me to be as judgmental as you are saying we all are when it comes to the "due process" of law in relation to Marlin Gray.

Scrutinize the politicians --- YES!

However, on your point about the mayors or governors having a persons fate in their hands: C'mon now. Governors and Mayors are ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE and are sworn to uphold the duty of their office. Even if you did not vote for that person, they are the holder of the office. When a governor reviews the judicial case or piece of legislation in front of them, they are doing EXACTLY WHAT THE CONSTITUTION asks of them. The governor is charged with doing things in a very specific way as mandated by the constitution or legislation forces him or her to do.

When the governor reviews a case and does not set a verdict aside or issue a pardon --- well, just read what all it has already gone through BEFORE it returns to his desk. First, the case is investigated. The determination that a trial is necessary is only after evidence is uncovered by the investigators and reviewed by literally dozens of people, including the DEFENSE COUNCIL. After the case starts, the PEOPLE issue a verdict from hearing the evidence and reviewing the FACTS. Also, by the time it gets to the governor's desk, the judge has reviewed the verdict. After that, when the appeals process is underway, another court rules, meaning another court has re-read the papers and the entire set of documents that was seen in the first place. It may go all the way to the state supreme court, where it is reviewed by the highest judicial officials in the state. These people will look at the merits of the papers filed to put it before them. They'll look at some of these cases if they think there is even a small problem with the case.

All this before it goes back to the governor.

Often times the courts see SOMETHING that is wrong and overturns a conviction or sets aside the verdict and orders a new trial. But not in Marlin Gray's case. There was nothing to overturn. THE EVIDENCE showed he was not only there, but was one of the main perpetrators of the crimes for which he was accused.

Let me point out something simple that has come up in MANY documents associated with Marlin Gray's case. He lied. THIS IS A FACT.

MARLIN GRAY lied to everyone in order to save his own life --- and it did not work.

Marlin Gray lied to his family, his friends, complete strangers, and mostly to the people who were uncovering the evidence in the case where he BRUTALLY RAPED, ROBBED and MURDERED two young women along with three others.

THE FACTS.

You wrote: "The facts were there and the trial was unfair, you just couldn't read between the lines or you just cannot read."

As someone who can read and can readbetweenthelines very well, I take offense.

THE FACTS are:

Marlin Gray told different versions of his story several different times including in the court. Others involved in the case told the facts about what happened and it was different from what Marlin Gray said. There are a lot of different people who testified with the same stories. Would you have me believe that all these others (some were just witnesses because of the stories told them by Marlin and the other three involved in this case) who said he was there, showing the two women and their male cousin how to go down into the underside of the Chain of Rocks Bridge, who said he was one of the rapists of these two young women, who either told police or the court that he was not simply "smoking marijuana at the car" --- are you seriously expecting me to believe HIS DIFFERENT STORIES were all the truth?????!!!!????

THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE!

Really. Would you say that EVERYONE ELSE was lying, and that Marlin Gray was telling the truth to the end?

I don't mean to say his life and death means nothing. No. Far from that. Marlin Gray's death serves to remind others (who may hear what you have to say about the justice system being rigged or whatever you would call it) that the justice system will send you to your death if you commit a brutal crime.

That message is pretty easy to understand: Do the time (or the quick end of your time through the death penalty) if you do the crime.

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Remember this: We live in a free country. That doesn't mean we are free to kill someone. That doesn't mean we are free to rape someone. That doesn't mean we are free to rob someone. God issued commandments which included somethings about murdering, raping, robbing.

PLEASE vote for whomever you want to see elected to office. Selectivity is a GOOD thing.

This free country is called a democracy by some and a republic by others. But by whatever brand it is called, it REMAINS A FREE COUNTRY with a better lifestyle than so many other places.

Since you may have all the rights of an American citizen, feel free to move to another country at any time if the United States does not measure up to your expectations.