Sunday, December 21, 2008

Fort Sumter


I mentioned Fort Sumter in my blog about A Forgotten Place. I took this last summer with my son on one of our Father/Son weekends. These are the cannons that fired the first shots of the Civil War. They are a grim reminder of what once was. Regrettably some things time has not healed. This article about wrongfully convicted and then exonerated Darryl Hunt appeared in today's local paper. The interview itself is an interesting look into his life now. The comments that follow are horrendous. I would mention that a DNA test proved his innocence. While he may have been a troubled teen, nothing justifies a conviction based on the idea that he was just as good as any other to convict. I find it interesting that he does not come across as bitter or angry towards those that convicted him. Compare this to the attitudes of the authors of the comments.

HBO Special on Darryl's story.


The Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice

4 comments:

Yarddawg said...

The guns of Fort Sumter reminded me of one of my favorite prayers. It is one of the most moving things I have ever read.

Confederate Soldier’s Prayer Anonymous

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for
- but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among men, most richly blessed.

Found on the body of a Southern soldier
1861-1865

I also wish some of the commentary in the WSJ was more civil.

4thBG said...

Yarddawg - that is a great prayer. I had an ancestor, Capt. Samuel Wiley Gray, who was killed at Gettysburg. A Union soldier found him, collected his personal items and brought them back here to Winston (for the non-locals, Winston and Salem did not become one city until 1913) and eventually married into the family. Even in the days shortly after the war, civility and decency began to take hold.

Anonymous said...

"The Trials of Darryl Hunt" is a wonderful documentary. It is a must see for anyone who has followed this story through the years. There are some who will never believe his innocence no matter what. And yes, he does seem like such a gentle man without much bitterness.

4th, the images on your blog are beautiful.

4thBG said...

Thanks Peggy, I love my time behind the camera - very therapeutic.

BG