whooo hooo! what a day. First off had a lovely phone conversation with NYS Tax & Finance. Actually wasn’t bad, but let’s see if the solution will be as easy as it sounds.
Then bits of cleaning interspersed with bits of quilting. The quilting is going really well. Go here for updates.
Getting excited about going to Vermont but have a lot of things to do before that. Have to figure out how to pack up my quilt to send it there among other things. eeks.
I got up really early this morning because I felt I should witness McVeigh’s execution in my the only way I could – listen for the announcement on the radio. So that’s what I did. It was very odd really. First off, because I was AWAKE when Ron left around 5:20 AM and the birds were really really loud. I laid there snoozing and scritching cats until the alarm went off and then it wasn’t too long before it was done. I am really puzzling over my feelings about this. I read a bit on Sr. PreJean’s web site (of “Dead Man Walking” fame)
She said:
Remember that, since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 we have now executed close to 700 human beings in this country – men, women, juveniles. Separation and distance from a deed makes anything possible. I’m all for people being able to see it with their own eyes when the government kills one of our citizens. We can get to the truth quicker that way. And so, when I’m asked if I think the McVeigh execution ought to be seen on television, I say yes, and not only McVeigh’s killing but every government killing. Of course, both state and federal government are very reluctant to show executions. They like to keep the sight of their deed away from the eyes of the ordinary people of this country. Plus, they don’t want other countries of the world to see these executions. Imagine U.S. executions being seen in Europe or Russia where a moratorium is in place or Japan or Latin America. How then could our leaders dare to claim that we place high value on human rights?
Finally, on an equally somber note: the NYTimes magazine had a hit-you-between-the-eyes short piece this weekend. Drawings and words by kids across the country collected by Sesame Workshop. They apparently asked all sorts of questions and gave kids the chance to draw and write their answers. The NYTimes used 6 drawings about what kids fear.
You can see them for yourself at: http://www.nytimes.com/magazine/ by clicking on the “Children’s Fears Are All Too Real” link or at
http://www.nytimes.com/images/2001/06/10/weekinreview/10mag-kids.1.html
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