Reading the paper this morning, I noticed that the state of Ohio has just pased a ballot measure that caps the interests that payday loan establishments can charge customers. Shouldn't this measure be adopted everywhere? People also should never use these places in the first place. They seem seedy.

One of these days I'm going to write about hotels...my experiences in them...decor...comfort level....I really do appreciate a very nice hotel...

The Kitchen Table on Torture Photos and Emmett Till

I encourage everyone to pop over to The Kitcken Table and read the very succinct essay on Obama's decision concerning releasing the photos of prisoners being tortured and how it related to Mamie Till's decision to have Emmett Till's body photographed. Very powerful comparison.

Don't let Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue execute Troy

Despite a strong claim of innocence, Troy Davis, an
African-American man from Georgia, faces execution for
purportedly killing a police officer.

Seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or
contradicted their testimony, no murder weapon was
found, and no physical evidence links Davis to the
crime. The Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles has
voted to deny clemency, yet Governor Sonny Perdue can
still exercise leadership to ensure that Troy Davis's
death sentence is commuted.

Please sign the petition asking him to support clemency
for Davis. The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP,
which has been a leader in the fight for Troy Davis,
will deliver the petition to the governor to ensure
your voice is heard.

The case of Troy Davis highlights the need for criminal
justice reform in the United States. The NAACP, with
its long and accomplished history of promoting civil
rights, is on the forefront of a movement to
revolutionize the criminal justice system.

More than 60% of the people in prison are people of
color. For Black males in their twenties, 1 in every 8
is in prison or jail on any given day. These trends
have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of
the "war on drugs," in which three-fourths of all
persons in prison for drug offenses are people of
color. The most extreme end of the criminal justice
system, the implementation of the death penalty, is no
exception: currently, more than 41% of those on death
row are Black. We must fight for change.

Please help us fight for the rights -- and life -- of
Troy Davis today.

Here are some facts about Davis's case:

Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police
Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in
Savannah, Georgia, a murder he maintains he did not
commit. There was no physical evidence against him and
the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case
against him consisted entirely of witness testimony
which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the
trial. Since then, all but two of the state's non-
police witnesses from the trial have recanted or
contradicted their testimony. Many of these witnesses
have stated in sworn affidavits that they were
pressured or coerced by police into testifying or
signing statements against Troy Davis.

One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his
testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles -- the principle
alternative suspect, according to the defense, against
whom there is new evidence implicating him as the
gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits
implicating Sylvester Coles.

Please urge Georgia Gov. Perdue to commute Davis's
sentence and bring justice to this case by signing our
petition today.


The case of Troy Davis highlights the need for criminal
justice reform in the United States.

Please help us fight for the rights -- and life -- of
Troy Davis today by signing the petition below, asking
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to act on behalf of
justice and commute Troy Davis's death sentence.

Benjamin Todd Jealous President and CEO NAACP

====

click below to send e-petition


====

I urge you to commute the death sentence of Troy Davis
to ensure that Georgia does not put to death a man who
may well be innocent.

Mr. Davis has a strong claim to innocence, but he could
be executed without a court ever holding a hearing on
his claims. Because of this, I urge you to act in the
interests of justice and support clemency for Troy
Davis. An execution without a proper hearing on
significant evidence of innocence would compromise the
integrity of Georgia's justice system.

As you may know, Mr. Davis was convicted of the 1989
murder of police officer Mark MacPhail, a conviction
based solely on witness testimony. Seven of the nine
non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted
their trial testimony. The courts, citing procedural
rules and time limits, have so far refused to hold an
evidentiary hearing to examine these witnesses.
Executive clemency exists, and executive action - and
your leadership - is required to preserve justice when
the protections afforded by our appeals process fail to
do so.

Thank you for your attention.

_____________________________________________

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Where Love Begins- Patti Labelle

Talkin bout love
sing it sing it Patti
Love love love love
What I'm talkin' bout
Talk about it Patti

Everybody's lookin' for somethin
somethin
An answer to believe in
Come on and talk about it
Don't nobody trust what they're feelin'
Ain't nothin' like the real thing

I've lived and I've learned
from every ruse, every burn
to follow my heart
with every road, every turn

That's why i'm free as a bird
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
cause that's where love begins
yes it does
yeah yes it does

Everybody's waitin' for tomorrow
to do what they could do today
do what they could do today
one feels that holdin' onto sorrow
the past keeps gettin' in your way

See I've lived and learned
a bit of wisdom I've earned
there's a place in your soul
where you can always return

That's why i'm free as a bird
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
because that's where love begins

I sing it loud
so proud
strong
wherever I go
to the day this Patti's gone
The voice in my heart won't leave me alone
That's why I'll keep on
keep on
holdin' on

Free as a bird
free as a bird
wild as the wind
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
because that's where love begins

I'm free as the wind
Up high
I got faith on my wings
There's no lookin back
I'm forgiven my sins
truth is my song
because that's where love begins

Yeah.

Happy Birthday Malcolm X!

One of the greatest gifts the world has ever recieved.