When Least Expected™

But By Grace Go I

July 14th, 2007 at 08:43am Manchild

GRACE is when God gives us what we don’t deserve.

I agree with Ms. Paula Neal Mooney’s recent post that Mr. Genarlow Wilson does not deserve to be locked up in prison and shackled to felony charges for engaging in the same consensual sexual activity that many grown folk were guilty of committing as teenagers. Imagine how different your life would be today had you’d been arrested at such a crucial age and critical stage of your personal development, accused of being a sexual predator, convicted of a felony, and sentenced to serve a 10-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole.

MERCY is when God doesn’t gives us what we do deserve.

Genarlow Wilson does deserve to be set free absent any further delay because it’s the right thing to do. In fact, a member of the judicial system reversed his conviction and agreed to release Mr. Wilson. But Georgia’s Attorney General, Mr. Thurbert Baker, appealed the judge’s decision. Alas, a 17 year old child remains locked up and locked down in a prison cell. Genarlow’s mother, Ms. Juanessa Bennett, understandably was devastated. I can only imagine how his mother must feel.

For reasons now known, I’m heading over to the Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Georgia to participate in the West Metro NAACP Branch march and rally because what happened to Mr. Genarlow Wilson could have happened to me when I was a 17-year old high school student doing what teenagers do before we knew better.

For those of you in the Atlanta metropolitan area who still don’t know where to go, but want to participate, click on the West Metro NAACP for directions and additional information about today’s activities. This post will be revised and completed with appropriate links upon my return from the Douglas County Courthouse where D.A. J. David McDade currently serves.

Ms. Kimberly Alexander, president of the West Metro NAACP Branch, and Ms. B. J. Bernstein, Genarlow’s attorney, both deserve a standing ovation for their relentless, diligent efforts to ensure that Genarlow is free to pursue his big dreams. Both of these wise women of substance deserves all the love and respect we, as men, can give them for taking a bold stand for justice and daring to speak truth to power in love.

Please note that Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Alexander are not standing alone. Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and State Senator Vincent Fort are just one of the many distinguished clergy members, political leaders, civil rights and community activists who are also courageously fighting to free Genarlow Wilson absent any further delay.

Click on “Free Genarlow Wilson” to sign the online petition.

As a sign of respect, I tip my hat to all of you for refusing to faint in the menacing face of Adversity while standing in the path of a clear and present danger. Gotta go to ensure my timely arrival.

– TO BE CONTINUED –

Copyright by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

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Entry Filed under: Humanitarian Causes, Inspiration