This is your space to share ideas, personal experiences, updates and news, calls for action, debate and to meet others to build a dialogue among a global community. Let’s create a new way of exploring issues that the mainstream media won’t touch, and give a voice to many whom we all too often ignore.
Only together can we fight these two social ills, Hate Crime and the Death Penalty…so speak out!
September 17, 2008 at 6:26 pm |
I do not understand why you chose to make your film about this individual. His writings show that he remains a misinformed clod, just the sort of person who would shoot people from the Indian subcontinent in cold blood because of a media-hyped grievance against “Ay-rabs.”
September 18, 2008 at 7:23 pm |
To Anya Cordell, who was profiled on http://www.executionchronicles.org in the Close Up section:
I read your article online and always wanted to communicate with you but I was not sure what to write or how to start. Finally, I decided just to introduce myself and express my deep respect to you. I am a 9/11-related hate crime victim, who got shot in the right eye and the right side of the face, became permanently blind in that eye and survived with much mental trauma.
I know the pain and suffering of a crime victim since I went through and still suffering from it; I know how people feel when nobody cares about them. I want to do something for other victims of various crimes. But I am a very poor resident of this rich country, my dreams are big but my ability is too limited to make it come true. I don’t know anyone who has interest in listening to our cry, in coming forward to make a change in our life. When I was on a death bed there were no loving hand over my head, I had no family member in USA, nobody told me, “don’t worry, you will get better.” Rather, I was discharged the next morning from that private hospital where I was taken after I was shot since I did not have any insurance. I needed a little help to buy medicine and food to survive. I had no car, I had to beg people for a ride to and from the hospital, whereas people who were in a better condition, and most likely already had a car, got another one just by appearing on some talk show!
I wrote to many famous people, celebrities, government officials, presidential candidates and the Red-cross, but they all responded with silence.The treatment that the victims of hate crimes received from different government officials, civil organization, public charities and and celebrities who runs charities, tells me we deserve our sufferings as a punishment because we’re foreigners. The difference between these people and the man who committed the hate crime is that he could not control his anger, committed the crime and punished us. The others are punishing us just by ignoring and not wasting their time on us. I always feel like we are the step child of this great nation, nobody cares for us.
Their silence made me mentally strong. I did not die, I did not give up, God saved my life and I believe there is a reason behind it. I have strong faith in God and work hard every day to maintain a normal peaceful life. I possess a never-give up mentality and I have lots of patience, with all these qualities and many more, I would be very happy if I could do something with you or others for the hate crime victims. If I need to knock door to door, city to city and state to state for the betterment of the victim’s family I will do that.
Thank you very much for your patient reading.
September 19, 2008 at 9:14 pm |
Mary,
I would be interested to know what part of his writing makes him a ‘misinformed clod’ ? or what relevance his pronounciation of the word Arab has to do with your observations?
Perhaps you should wait to read more of his writing rather than just an introduction to his writing before reaching a conclusion?
September 23, 2008 at 8:48 pm |
I just wanted to tell the people who read this that have known Mark Stroman for many years. Beneath the pale white tattooed skin is a great big heart full of love for all he knows! i miss him dearly. I know he made a bad choice doing what he did, but we all as human beings do so daily. Some worse than others and we all pay in some way. He will pay with his life.I would still have him over for dinner this very day. And i know people are quick to judge and thats life i guess but they should also be quick to forgive!
September 23, 2008 at 9:59 pm |
I think him a misinformed clod among other reasons because he misquoted Oliver North as claiming during the Iran-Contragate hearings that Osama Bin Laden was after North and his family. (Osama Bin Laden was on America’s side at that point, fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan with plenty of CIA assistance. North actually referred to Abu Nidal as the terrorist mastermind he believed was after him.) He also described 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta as participating in terrorist activities carried out on dates when Atta had not even finished high school, much less the engineering courses at university he is documented as pursuing.
Why would I want to read more of this erroneous garbage, written to justify hate crimes?
I don’t think this man should be executed, but I do not think he and his hateful views should be publicized, either. To me, one of the biggest problems with the death penalty is the way good people are recruited to expend their valuable efforts on behalf of people who are, objectively speaking, bad.
September 24, 2008 at 10:29 am |
The writings regarding Oliver North etc were written in 2002. Whether this information is true or not I dont know. The fact is, alot can change over 6 years. Maybe use the writing from his website to compare with the blogs on this site which have been written more recently?
I dont think the aim is to ‘Justify’ hate crimes but more to make sense of them. It is far easier to condemn a man for his actions rather than to try and understand them, but maybe thats exactly what we need to do to prevent similar things happening again.
I dont believe that Mark is the hate filled racist the media has portrayed him to me. I guess we will learn more as this site progresses.
Who are you refering to when you say “good people are recruited to expend their valuable efforts on behalf of people who are, objectively speaking, bad.”
For me, the biggest problem regarding the death penalty is that it does not achieve anything. It is not a deterrent, it prolongs the suffering of all people involved and it is a hypocrisy.
October 1, 2008 at 6:40 am |
As a brit I visited the States just after the Oklahoma bombing and it opened up a whole new understanding for me. I was a kid that grew up during the times of the ‘troubles’, bombings were a regular occurance on the ten oclock news on mainland and ireland.
What hit me about the states ,and this is not intended to be insulting in any way, is the intence patriotic feeling. Do you not think at times that this level of patrism can find parallels with that which motivates Extreamists to fly planes into Buildings? It can be the same over here, a group of regular guys just egg each other on to more and more extream views because they arn’t as informed as they should be.
When I read about Mark I imediatly understood how this tragic sittuation could occure. My grandfather was preached into the trenches in 1914 by the methodist minister and his own mother, despite being badly wounded at the battle of Loose he survived….he was a hero….Because the State told him to kill and yet a killer is what he was and a lovely old genmtleman who used to tell me stories as I sat on his knee and I miss him very much
So If the State tells you to kill people just the same as you; miners, cotton workers, babtists, methodists, just cause they come from a different country and builds you up to be a hero, then dont be surprised at happenings like this. Just remember; If you had been born in a different country your views would be different.
As for Mark I have come to know him and like RWood says; I would gladly also have him over for dinner and spend time with my kids. A missinformed clod? Clod, no certainly not, Missinformed? Well in that case make sure people are informed and properly informed and remove preachers of hate and tell polititions to stop telling people that ‘God is on the side of our country’ and ‘we are doing things in God’s name’ when The God I have read about talks about ‘men of all nations being equal’ and ‘every race being acceptable to him who do his will’.
November 10, 2008 at 8:53 pm |
I am writing to give my comments. I am a pal of Mark’s. I also felt like he did after 9/11. Now what I need to say is that the guys who BOMBED the WTC in 1993 got LIFE in prison, and they are going to execute Mark?!?! WTF how does that make any sense. I know that if I lost MY sister in the WTC I would have done that same thing. If what he did is a hate crime, what is it called that they did to the over 3,000 victims of 9/11?
November 13, 2008 at 3:17 pm |
If alot has changed over the 6 years since Mark has been incarcerated, may I suggest that he removes the writing titled ‘True American’ as it makes him come across as an unstable, racist thicko.
November 25, 2008 at 4:57 pm |
I can understand the very mixed feelings that people have for Mark Stroman. I myself spent five years with him and we have a child together who is now 15 and has not seen him since she was three years old. She is also a victim in this tragedy. I myself have cried for the family’s left behind of the people he killed, but mostly have spent years trying to explain to our child this tragedy. She cant begin to understand any of it. She thinks that because he chose to do what he did and because he didn’t that of her that he doesn’t love her. Not to mention that a girl growing up without a father is just an aweful situation. She is 15 and now looks for that closeness that should have been with him from boys/men and she is too young to have to deal with those emotions and grown up relationships. I know that when this happened he was very heavy into drugs. Between that and the fact that in Texas many people grow up taught to hate, which I why I chose to take my daughter and leave. The part that does not come out in everything that I have read is that the Mark I used to know had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. I know that he loves our daughter with all his heart. When he grew up his mother left him and his sisters off and on his whole childhood. When she did have him the boyfriend she had beat him all the time. He was always looking for the love he did not have as a child and thought what he did would make him a hero – that it would finally bring him the love he was looking for his whole life. My regret now is that I have not been there for him like I should have through this whole time. My daughter will have to deal with he fact that he will probably be executed before she is even 18 years old. She wants to see him, but we live in Washington and I can’t afford to take her, not to mention the memories she will have of him will be behind a glass screen talking on a phone. I have struggled on my own to just make sure she has a home, food, and clothes on her back. The thing she want more than anything is to hug and hold him. Whether he deserves that or not – she certainly does and I have called the warden and asked if that could possible happen even if they have to leave him in handcuffs and shackles but to no avail. I have never written or responed to anything like this before as sorting out my own feelings of anger about this has been horrible and all consuming trying to help my daughter deal with it and leave out my feelings. I’ve pushed mine aside for her. In the end if anyone reads this who has any idea of any group who has funding for someone like us to visit him I would appreciate the information. You can contact me at sschroder2002@yahoo.com. Thank you!
June 6, 2011 at 8:05 pm |
I have just found your blog on here Shawna. My name is Linda Meakins, I have been trying to assist Mark and have got ‘Reprieve’ involved they are now working 24/7 to help Mark get his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. Your words are touching, but forgive me if I find them a little hard to believe. I tried to contact you on facebook some time back when Cassie had been sadly abducted. You did not respond. I am also aware that Mark spoke to Cassie during a recent court hearing by telephone and Cassie told him that she wanted to see him, something that the court agreed to, but for some reason, the letters Mark have sent to his daughter (at the address the Attorney gave him) have been returned. Mark has enough to deal with emotionally as it is at the moment, he was so very happy straight after the talk he had with Cassie, she means the world to him, he has been deprived of his daughter for 9 years, so here he was thinking he was going to get to see her, then letters are being once again returned to him and still the Attorneys are unable to set up the visit, why is this? It is causing him great anxiety when everyone that genuinely cares about Mark are doing their utmost to try and keep his spirits up… Please if their is an ounce of compassion for Mark in you, make the priority in your life right now that you make the visit and contact with his daughter possible. There are people on this site that can help you I am sure if you need it. Mark has been extremely caring and supportive to my 78 yr old Mum who was suffering with severe depression since my dear Father died 7 yrs ago. She has been living with a Carer as was unable to cope. Nothing that my sister or I could do was helping her. Mark’s support by twice weekly letters during the past 3 years has singlehandedly helped her recover. 4 weeks ago, we were able to move her back into her own home once again, something we her family never thought we would see again… We are forever in debt to Mark for this. it’s simple Cassie needs Marks love and support more than ever now and Mark needs to see his daughter. So please Shawna put your own feelings aside as you say you are doing and make this visit happen PLEASE. Linny Meakins
November 29, 2008 at 12:18 pm |
I wouldn’t spend too much time on Mary O’Grady and her malice. Mary O’Grady is the kind of person quite able to overlook the deaths brought about about the policies of the current Pope, the religious bigots who serve George Bush and the vicious lies concocted by Tony Blair in an attempt to subdue and convert other nations to what she no doubt regards as a Christian way of life.
Anyone who dismisses a man who dies in terror and agony on the grounds that he is an uninformed clod has a sickness in her own soul and, by God, it shows.
November 29, 2008 at 12:30 pm |
The USA has some of the finest people on this planet. Sadly, it also has some of the worst. Among the best are true military heroes like the late Admiral James B Stockdale, the bravest of the brave, and opponent of the malignacy spawned by George Bush Junior. Amognst the worst are the humanity hating, gun toting, execution lovers of the bible belt. They have not moved since the Tennessee Monkey Trial of 1925 when they ridicule they brought on their own area caused it to become an object of contempt even then. H.L. Mencken skewered these bigots then and they are as mired in their vicious relion now as they were then.
Texas, and particularly, Polunsky Unit Death Row, should be publicised world wide so that the stain it has placed on Texas spreads. A great State, with many great people, now regarded through much of the Western World as an open sewer of malice who slaughter the ignorent and the non whites with an indecent lust while whining about their commitment to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
November 29, 2008 at 12:36 pm |
Publicise Polunsky Unit, Death Row, Texas. Force them to torture and kill in the light of publicity. Name the guards, the warden and, most of all the politician Polunsky who was proud to give his name to this hell after a better man declined.
Has Mr/Congressman/Senator Polunsky any comments? Or is still skulking in the dark while others kill on his behalf.
November 30, 2008 at 2:13 am |
I must say that I write to Mark and I have to tell you from the little I have been writing him, he has a heart of gold.
I feel as if the cell phones were planted on him and Hank Skinner to silence them. I have one question for the TDCJ, why dont’ you NAME the CO’s that were fired over this..
Shame on you Texas, SHAME SHAME SHAME!
March 15, 2010 at 7:01 pm |
BROGA is a complete idiot that has obviously never been to Texas. I am a proud Texan who loves my country and my state. I do not believe anyone should be executed unless it is completely true that the crime they committed they admit to and is horrendous. Mark has stated in his blogs statements regarding child killers as well as the elderly. I myself have a friend that was killed by a serial killer in the very same prison. He killed 5 (that they know of) young girls, brutally raped them and strangled them. He DESERVES TO DIE IN THE SAME MANNER (as a true Texan would say).
In Mark’s case, I remember many people feeling the way he did after 9/11. I myself used to live in New York and was in the World Trade Center every day so this affected me deeply as well. I also remember going into a convenience store on that day and hearing two men talking in another language and laughing. I was appalled when I heard them refer to the trajedy of that day (I could understand some of the words). I was VERY angry….but to act on it? No…I understand he did a terrible thing…and he is accepting responsibility for it…which in my eyes is completely different from some pychopathic child rapist murderer!!!! They DO deserve the death penalty…I’d like to see BROGA’S reaction of a dear young loved one was brutally killed in such a manner…what a joke you are…
March 17, 2011 at 5:45 am |
i am a friend of marks have been for 2 yrs yeah i agree with u theres lots to laugh at when he writes i love that about him too hugs to all here whom are friends of mark