Wed, Sep 17th - 5:29AM

jack alderman's execution

The state of Georgia executed another Death Row inmate last night.  I heard about it while still at work last night.  I was upset about the execution and prayed and cried in my car on the way home last night.  Jack Alderman was executed last night after sitting on Georgia's Death Row for 33 years, the longest in Georgia's history.

Most Christians are blessed by not having first hand expereince in matters like Capital Punishment unless they are called for jury duty.  Ah!  The court system, that's another subject for another blog!  But most decent people just don't know a lot about capital punishment, death row and executions.  A lot of citizens don't even know if the state where they live even practices Capital Punishment. 

I knew Jack Alderman and I know his father.  Both Jack and his father are from my home town.  If I had met Jack senior anywhere but in a death row visitation room I'd never have thought he had a son on Death Row.  Jack is a much older man, I'd say Jack senior is in his late 70's or early 80's.   I thought about Jack senior tonight in my car crying and praying for him.  Jack senior was punished tonight too.  But then again, Jack senior has been punished and hunt for the last 33 years too. 

As parents we are sometimes hurt by the things our children do and we have to face the consequeces of their actions along side of them.  I know Jack senior has faced the consequences of having a son in prison for 33 years.  I know he has hunt each and every day during those 33 years.  Tonight was not the end of his hurting but just the beginning of a different kind of loss and grieving.  It's a depth of hurt and suffering most people will never know...Thank God.

I met Jack's son several times on Death Row.  He was warm and friendly.  I couldn't help but study him each time I saw him because I couldn't help but think to myself how does a man act when he knows the day he is going to die.  I also wanted to know what a killer looks like, what does a killer act like.  I wanted to hear what a killer might talk about.  I studied Jack hard.  Here I was face to face with what society says is the worst of the worst.  Here before me was a man that society said there was nothing to do but kill this man.

I'll tell you what I saw and what I found out.  Jack looked and acted like he was at peace with the world around him.  Jack told me he was concerned about his Dad and asked me to keep in touch with his dad.  I watched Jack one day show a great deal of respect and concern for something going on in the visitation room when most of the other inmates where too drugged or too mentally disturbed to show any reasoning or concern.  And lastly, as a christian I discerned that Jack was saved and had a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Whatever Jack was 33 years ago he wasn't that same man today.  Most life sentences aren't for 33 years!  So many life sentences are set at 25 years and so many are paroled before serving 25 years.  Truly, before Jack was killed tonight he'd already done a life sentence. 

I read a blog in which the sister of the women that Jack is accused of killing wrote.  She talked of justice finally being served and something about if lethal injection was too cruel then they could just fry him.  Bless her heart because she has found no peace.  I have to ask today,  is she happy?  Is she healed?   Has Jack's death set her free?   Will she get the pleasure she is looking for from Jack's execution?

It sounds like Jack's execution has brought about a rejoicing in her revenge.  And that at best will be temporary.  I can't deny this women for wanting to punish Jack for what he did to her sister and their entire family.  But you would have to be blind in every way not to see and know that Jack and his entire family have and are being punished.  You'd have to blind not to see that Jack is or was a diffrent man today.  

Some killers are called socio-paths, some serial killers, some cop killers, and homocidal idiots, some murders, etc... An attorney once told me that we all have this in us.  Just like Cain.  Some of us are just fortunate that something or someone hasn't sparked that instinct in us.  Or perhaps we are blessed that we are not  mentally deranged or mentally retarded.  Then again, some people are given a second chance.  Whether it's because they have money, have better attorneys, or life just worked out better for them,  they are given a second chance to start again after making a grave mistake.  Can't we all pray for the less fortunate?

Killing is not a solution, it is the end.  Jesus' covernant with us is of forgiveness.  Jesus has not given one single one of us what we deserve.  There is another execution scheduled for Sept. 23rd in Georgia.  Please pray for these people on Death Row.  Pray for their families and pray for the victims families too, not that they all aren't victims.  And pray for our christian community that we will lead the way for our city and state governments to put a stop to the killing.

Wed, Sep 17th - 3:06AM

Welcome to your Blog!