GUILTY!!!!! After deadlocking on murder charges, the jury in Philadelphia, MS, found Edgar Ray Killen guilty of three counts of manslaughter. Although it's not the murder conviction prosecutors wanted, each of the three counts carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. He hasn't been sentenced yet, but basically this monster will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.
If he's not scared, he should be. Prison should be the least of his worries, although I do hope that he will always sleep with one eye open. Now he can see what it's like to live in terror. There are monsters behind those walls, and they are extremely good at getting into places you think they can't reach. The difference is, the monsters in there won't be dressed up in bedsheets because they aren't afraid to show their faces.
He has enjoyed 41 years (to the day because the three young Freedom Riders disappeared on June 21, 1964) of freedom to live life and enjoy his family. While the families of James Chaney, Micheal Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman have had to relive their losses like car wrecks every June 21. Now they can rest a little easier knowing that the man who masterminded the murder of their sons is getting some of what's coming to him.
In any case, I think we can say that some measure of earthly justice has been done. The justice he will face when he leaves this world is not something I would want hanging over my head. I am very proud of my homestate of MS for taking some steps to show the world that things ARE different there. No matter what people think of the state, there are plenty of supposedly "progressive" states in the union who are doing absolutely nothing to deal with hate crimes that have gone unpunished. Did you know the state of NY has one of the HIGHEST hate crimes rates in the US? Maybe it's time the rest of the country starts trying to be like Mississippi and gets busy flushing the roaches out from under the baseboards.
Read the full story here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8290795/.
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