"Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break"

A sampling:

"Participation in the Annual Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break is an invaluable experience. Participants will come away with firsthand knowledge of the anti-death penalty movement, a new perspective on issues facing our country, and new friendships that will last a lifetime. During the spring break students will find plenty of free time to enjoy Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World.

"'At first I thought we had to go to workshops the whole day. But I had lots of free time to go out shopping and have fun with my friends' -- Casey Urban"

It's a full week, complete with coverage by MTVU (their new college channel) and a side trip to Huntsville to protest the execution of Tommie Hughes, who only killed two, maybe three, people, but otherwise sounds like a fine, upstanding domestic abuser.

Tommie killed three people, according to what he told his own family. His lawyers seriously need to read the record.

For more details on the life and times of Mr. Hughes, go to this link.

Tommie has filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court claiming that the lethal injection protocol exposes him to substantial risk of pain. The federal district court dismissed the suit today on the grounds that it is untimely. I especially like the grievance Tommie filed with TDCJ over the chemicals used.

Tommie's rejected clemency request bemoaned the fact that we put on an extraneous capital murder in punishment. Initially, someone else was charged with the murder, but those charges were dropped when it was determined they lacked merit. After Tommie was arrested within 10 minutes of killing his last two victims, one of his acquaintances spilled the beans that he had committed the other capital murder the year before. Family members helped put it on him. Then, we recovered a gun he had borrowed about the time of the murder and proved it was used to murder the shopkeeper. The sentencing jury heard all this evidence from us--who was charged with the murder, why it was dropped, and why we believed Tommie did it.

What else could the fun seeking college student ask for? All that anti-death penalty stuff, and a side road trip to Huntsville to hang out with the fringe element behind the barricade. So do they include a candle to burn for the soon to be executed inmate or is that extra?

Some how Girls Gone Wild doesn't seem near as offensive.

I heard they were really going down to H'ville for a Banjo concert but were a little embarresed to admit it so they made up this little anti-DP excursion as a diversion.

Assuming anyone watches any of the MTV channels (other than to catch each week's episode of the hip-hop showcase "Sucker Free Countdown," which I suspect Newell regularly tunes in), isn't this simply an indicator that the current avenues of mass communication aimed at young America have a fairly uniform and insistent anti-death penalty slant? Would college students spending their spring break learning the particulars of crime victims assistance merit week-long coverage on E!? Of course, this could just be a sign of my accelerating aging. Maybe it's just another way of, to quote the Sprint commercial, "sticking it to the man."

As an aside, though, I understand that one of the extracurricular activities will be a PETA-sponsored protest against the horrors of noodling.

don't be hatin'.

Top Ten Lists of Anti-Death Penalty Shows Coming to MTV This Fall.

10. Real World: Huntsville
9. Pimp My Trial Attorney
8. Crips
7. True Life (Without Parole)
6. Commander in Chief
5. Road Rules: Texas Seven Edition
4. Bitch'd
3. Gangbanger's Ball
2. TRL: Totally Rotten Luck
1. inJustice

[This message was edited by David Newell on 03-14-06 at .]

Meet my B*tch-a Jerry Springer type show that reunites prison love and introduces the "prison spouse" to the one that got left at home. This show asks the probing question: "How do you feel about your husband's prison b*tch?". Hosted by Tommy Lee.

"Extreme Cell Make-over"

Boliver moves his pillow from one end of the bunk to the other. For the finale, he surprises his cellie with a Popular Science magazine photograph of Barbara Eden sitting in the cockpit of a 1972 kit-airplane.

Tears all around.

Exit only

David:

While I have on more than one occasion been accused of playah-hatin', I actually stand in envy of someone who can effectively monitor the pulse of urban culture. I'll try to keep it real.

But perhaps a more relevant offering from MTV would be Jackass Goes to Ellis. One can only imagine the entertainment that could be had with Knoxville and crew plying their video wares with the boys on "the row".

you proceed from a false assumption. i am a vulcan. i have no ego to bruise. i just figured i'd respond like my personal linguistic icon, B-Rad. i figure i have about as much street credibility as Malibu's Most Wanted. Just call me, White Kong.

and as for tv shows, i myself think this discussion puts elimiDATE in a whole new light.

[This message was edited by David Newell on 03-14-06 at .]

Hey Scott, no 'dis intended, (which, looking at it now sounds kind of like distended -- what folks' bowels do at difficult times in their lives), but if Jackass goes to Ellis, they'll miss the show, because the Row is at the Polunsky Unit.

quote:

---

Originally posted by David Newell:
you proceed from a false assumption. i am a vulcan. i have no ego to bruise. i just figured i'd respond like my personal linguistic icon, B-Rad. i figure i have about as much street credibility as _Malibu's Most Wanted_. Just call me, White Kong.

and as for tv shows, i myself think this discussion puts elimiDATE in a whole new light.

---

David, you are not a vulcan, I have seen your ears. For those of us who don't have as much hang time as you on mtv etc, can you explain who B-Rad is? And has he ever been incarcerated?

"B-Rad" is the "stage name" of Brad Gluckman, the title character from the film Malibu's Most Wanted, a heart-warming tale of a young, well-to-do caucasian teen who dreams of becoming a rapper if only he can overcome all of the advantages he was born with. in the movie, he is most fond of saying, "don't be hatin'."

A.P., as usual, aptly points out the flaws in my writing and reasoning. My venue error is undoubtedly attributable to my status as -- in the words of opposing counsel during a hearing in a particularly acrimonious civil case against the county -- a "clueless misdemeanor prosecutor." But now that you mention it, I may need to consult with my physician about my "dis" condition.

Looking back on all this, maybe MTV should do something of a retrospective shout out to the good ol' days of Vanilla Ice and have its spring break crowd spend a few days on the mean streets of Carrollton revving up the populace's discontent about the inherent unfairness of the death penalty.

And, lest I forget, live long and prosper, David. Peace out, yo.

I have finally gotten old. I spent most of my research on this thread trying to figure out what MTVU is. Then, this rapper who I bet I have never heard more than 6 seconds of his music. Why? Because when rap comes on any radio or television channel I hit the change channel button within 6 seconds. But some relief at last discussions of Vulcan is something I do have expertise or at least vague memories.

On a more serious note, I am not at all concerned with young people engaged in any sort of political discussion. Having seen in the past the level of discourse on previous "MTV Does Spring Break in Cancun" et cetera, discussing or even attempted brain washing regarding the death penalty is a definite upgrade. I remain confident that if the young generation spends time discussing life or death issues they will turn out far better than if they discuss the type of suntan oil to use at Cancun or how many shots it takes to reach alcohol saturation.

As prosecutors we should welcome the discourse, our best argument will always be the criminal defendant and his actions.

But finally other than by sentencing how do you get people to go to Huntsville anyway. MTVU? finds the way.

I see you're doing well, David:

Live Long and Prosper
"Vulcan Raises Earnings Forecast"--headline, MarketWatch.com, March 14

Ray: You're assuming that those who attend camp with have 'discourse' regarding the subject. I'd lay good money on 'regurgitation over cognition' at an event sponsored by MTV and attended by the patrons of said sponsor.

Do-Wop

I thought you guys in Potter County were out fighting fires.