BEWARE OF PEDOPHILES!!

PARENTS!!! Tend to your children. There have been stings ALL over the news where GROWN men are targeting CHILDREN, boys and girls alike. Know that when your child makes a post or post a picture if their gps location is set to on on the computer/phone, YOUR actual address is made known to the person viewing the post/picture!!! Even on decent pictures you see grown men posting comments or liking t...hem. PLEASE.....PLEASE....PLEASE monitor your children's activity on the computer and phone!!! Check their inboxes and text messages. I'm not saying don't trust your children, I'm saying don't trust these sick adults targeting them!!! I witnessed this TODAY!!! You are the ONLY person that can protect your children from these sick people!!! I can NOT emphasize this enough!!! PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILDREN!!!♥

 

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Harsh Reality

I haven't made the best use of my time. I'm not sure if a legacy has even begun on my behalf. The difference I've set out to make, has only been penciled in my pad. There's so much work for me to do, in order to leave my mark on this world. And to see people around me dying. People who mean something to ME dying. Slaps me in the face. It fills my heart with shame. Because here I am taking lif...e for granted, assuming that I have tomorrow when they only had today or yesterday. What makes me better than them that today or yesterday wasn't my last? As far as I can see, NOTHING. But since I've been granted this grace, I must tend to my soul. I have to make sure that I don't leave my work undone because none of you can finish it for me. And only you can finish yours. When they put your birthdate - your homegoing date, you be sure to make your "-" count. I've never felt anything worse than losing a loved one. Death's sorrow stains the most beautiful canvas. It darkens the brightest day. RIP Neil Cox. You made your "-" count!! Still in disbelief. ♥ ♥

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we celebrate a man who lived with purpose!!! A man who paid the ultimate sacrifice with his life for a cause that he knew he might not be able to enjoy....a cause GREATER than him.

It brings tears to my eyes when I read, "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. ...I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” - “I've Been to the Mountaintop”, April 3, 1968"

Such bittersweet words, to be filled with happiness for such a great accomplishment. Yet knowing that someone will allow hatred to overcome them and it would result in them taking your life. I don't know ANYONE other than JESUS that will give their life for the world. Now THAT'S love for humanity because he wasn't rising on the third day.

Even in his protesting and boycotting for change, it was all done in LOVE. He emphasized the importance of Gandhi's strategy of NON-VIOLENCE. Imagine that. During the days when most blacks' were considered uneducated and violent, Dr. King & Company's intelligence and their implementation of Gandhi's non-violent strategy caught the attention of a nation. They didn't allow violence to divert the attention from their cause. Eventually, the rights they were fighting for could no longer be ignored.

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!!!! Your life has inspired me to live for a cause greater than me. One of the greatest gifts you can give to this world is service. Strive to make a change. Live with a purpose. Find a cause and stand for it. You only have ONE life. Make it count!!! #MerchonGSpeaks♥

 

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Dr. Martin Luther King

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.....I've always admired his knowledge, his vision and his courage.  The way he and others pioneered change birthed a fire inside of me to do great things to make our world a better place.  His leadership and dreams united with others created a better life and more opportunities for me.   He and Medgar Evers were two of many who paid the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, to afford us a better standard of living. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.!!! Thank you for sacrificing your life for my freedom. Your death was not in vain. Everyday I take advantage of the opportunities you've afforded me. And because of you, I too have a dream. #ForeverGrateful


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Lesson Overload

I learned alot this weekend. I learned about respect, jealousy, trust, loyalty and business. Respect is something that everyone wants but very few are willing to give.  Some people will do and say things to undercut you and attempt to embarrass you publicly, then apologize privately, expecting for you to forgive and act as if it never occurred.  Now that's absurd!  But you should forgive, so that you may go on with your life because harboring hate and resentment will only hold you back.  Just because you forgive a person doesn't mean you have to befriend them or associate with them, it just means you are over and pass the situation.  It also means that you're no longer allowing the situation and/or that person to affect you.
Now onto jealousy.  Jealousy is unexplainable. People will be jealous of you with out cause.  It's often self-inflicted and out of your control. A jealous person is a dangerous person because if given the opportunity, they will do things underhandledly to destroy you.  No matter how nice you are to them, they will still dislike you because you have something that they want. Unfortunately, family and friends usually make up the majority of this group.

Then there's trust.  Many people have trust issues because they've been burned by someone close to them, family, friend, lover, etc. So after having negative experiences, people tend to become skeptical of others.  Understand that trust is a two way street.  You must prove yourself trustworthy, in order to be trusted. Also, just as you may be skeptical of others, they are skeptical as you as well.  For those who trust EASILY, DON'T!!!  You should make it a requirement for someone to earn your trust and a place in your life.  Trust is invaluable.  Once it's given and broken, it changes your life.  So before giving someone such great power, investigate their history....do your research...listen to their conversation...and observe their behavior.  Unfortunately in this day and age, people aren't always who they proclaim to be, so be careful.

Next we have loyalty. Loyalty goes hand in hand with trust.  Most people who are trustworthy are also loyal. They stay true to their word and their allegiances.  I learned this weekend that alot of people pretend to be a "friend."  However, they are only associating with you for what they can gain and given the opportunity, they'll switch out on you in a heartbeat.  Yes, it's disheartening when it happens, but understand that in every situation there's a lesson.  The best thing to do is shake it off, learn from it and move on.

And last but not least, there's business.  People will do alot of trifling things in the name of business. "Nothing personal, it's just business." Now don't get me wrong, business should never be mixed with personal, BUT you should not have shiesty dealings and use "it's just business" as an excuse.  Otherwise, it's bad business. Secondly, if you are in business with someone else, it's called a PARTNERSHIP.  This means that MORE than one person makes the decisions. You should never make decisions without consulting with your partner.  And if you feel that you do not need to consult your partner, then you should be a sole proprietor (in business by yourself). 

These are the lessons I learned. Some of them were just reinforced, but I thought I'd share them with you all. Happy Martin Luther King Day :)
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World View

We live in a crazy world where kindness can be seen as weakness or miscontrued as interest by the opposite sex. A world where silence can be taken as rudeness when you've just chosen to stay to yourself and reflect. A world where everyone thinks they're right, placing fault on anyone/anything not their own. A world where accountability is very seldom embraced, remember people correction starts at HOME. WORK ON YOURSELVES FIRST. #MerchonsLaw♥



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TROY DAVIS and The American Justice System

Troy Davis was the man executed for the 1989 death of Mark MacPhail, a police officer, working as a security guard at Burger King in Savannah, GA. During Troy's 1991 trial, seven witnesses testified they had seen Troy shoot MacPhail, and two others testified that Troy had confessed the murder to them, and six others for the defense, including Troy. The murder weapon was never recovered and there was no DNA evidence or fingerprints, but ballistic evidence presented at trial linked bullets recovered at or near the scene to those at another shooting in which Troy was also charged. He was convicted of murder and various lesser charges, including the earlier shooting, and was sentenced to death in August 1991.

Troy maintained his innocence until his death, September 21, 2011 at 11:08 pm. In the 20 years between his conviction and execution, 7 out the 9 prosecution witnesses changed or recanted their statements. One of those witnesses being rumored to be the actual killer.  Some of the witnesses stated police coercion.  These changes and accusations were never addressed or investigated.

Over the years of Troy Davis's imprisonment, he appealed to no avail.  Finally in 2009, he was granted an evidentiary hearing. On June 2010, Troy's evidentiary hearing was held and he was required to prove his innocence, a heavy burtden to bear. Despite presenting affidavits from 7 out of 9 witnesses recanting or changing their statements, he was not granted a new trial and his conviction was upheld.

I can not say that I know without a doubt that Troy Davis was innocent or guilty.  But I can say that there was too much doubt to warrant lethal injection. America is called "the land of the free."  It has a "justice" system where each individual is "innocent" until "proven" guilty. Every man is given a "fair" trial. Tell me, do you believe this?  Unfortunately I can't say that I do. Sometimes other factors, race....age....gender....finances....education....resources...location, all play a part in someone receiving justice.  I've heard about the innocents imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit.  As a legal professional, I am aware of those unfortunate cases.  But for the first time in MY life, I watched as evidence for a new trial went ignored.  I watched as millions protesting were ignored....as opinions from respected legal scholars and experts were overlooked. And I couldn't help but wonder, why so much disregard for accuracy....for the truth?  Or is charging the RIGHT offender important anymore?  Or will anyone suffice?

What would make so many legal officials overlook standards and lack of evidence? What about the rules of professional responsibility they are governed by? Why didn't the truth matter? Why didn't millions of people protesting tug at their hearts....their conscience? Seems like all we've have is Jesus if the people we've trusted to serve and protect us are biased...making their own standards. Such blatant disregard for human life. I pray for America because we need it.

Troy Davis's execution showed us in bold print that our justice system is flawed.  It is disturbing that there's no uniformity or standards that must be followed when imposing the death penalty in the United States.  Nor any uniformity amongst Parole Boards.  Of course there are always rules and regulations in place, but are they being followed?  Who's regulating or making sure they're enforced? 

In May 22, 2008, Georgia's Board of Parole pardoned Samuel David Crowe who in March 1988, killed store manager Joseph Pala during a robbery at the lumber company in Douglas County, west of Atlanta. Crowe, who had previously worked at the store, shot Pala three times with a pistol, beat him with a crowbar and a pot of paint.  His death sentence was commuted to a life sentence without parole. It was stated that "David Crowe takes full responsibility for his crime and experiences profound remorse."  This same parole board denied Troy Davis's request, despite 7 of the 9 convicting witnesses recanting their statements. Would they have shown mercy and pardoned him if he admitted guilt and remorse for a crime that he proclaimed innocence against? 

We may never know.  I do know that I watched as millions protested and begged for a man's life to be spared. I watched as the masses, including some high esteemed individuals, were silenced by the few.  I watched as those few decided to continue with Troy Davis's death.  I watched with tears in my eyes as a possibly innocent man's life was taken in the midst of a hurricane of doubt.  I cried and my heart hurt like he was my brother. And I decided that I will no longer watch injustice.

I will no longer stand by and feel helpless and sorrowful for the indiscretions of America's "justice" system....for the indiscretions of America.  I will fight for the innocent.  I will fight against the death penalty.  I will fight for those who can't fight.  I will use my Juris Doctorate for more than just a dollar.  If I have to, I'll do it alone.  But I know I won't because you'll stand with me.  You saw what I saw.  You felt what I felt.  And you don't ever want to feel that way again. So educate yourselves. Be aware of your surroundings...your environment.  More importantly, VOTE!!!  At EVERY election, local, state and national.  Write your legislature, they work for you.  Your city council....your commissioners.....they work for YOU!!!  It's time we take a stand TOGETHER and make a change that's warranted. Let's stop being the victim. Take my hand and let's lead a purpose filled life.

Troy Davis, your life is not in vein.  You have fueled the fire in many. Thanks for the reality check. May you rest in peace.♥

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