Wednesday 21st September. Midnight GMT. The world seemed to stop and cry together while it waited for news of the barbaric execution of Troy Davis by the American state of Georgia.
In a sickening and heart wrenching few minutes it seems that the right thinking people of this world united in grief, not only grief for the man about to die but grief for a lost moral code that could have prevented this from happening in the first place. Yes, while Troy Davis was strapped to a gurney awaiting death by lethal injection, I was watching my twitter feed.
I have never before felt so close to an execution and it is utterly soul destroying - god only knows what it must feel like to actually be there; I hope that I never find out. As I watched, I cried bucket loads of tears, I felt physically sick and I did something I haven't done for many, many years - I said a prayer (blame the catholic upbringing, it appears to kick in when I feel completely helpless).
I doubt very much that it was my prayer which did it but Troy Davis has been granted a temporary reprieve. It seems though that this in itself is nothing short of torture, reportedly being the 4th time and, just to make it even better, i'm currently watching various reports that the poor soul may still be in the execution chamber waiting to hear whether or not the state intend to kill him tonight. I feel sick again.
Currently #thewholeworldiswatching is trending, right up there at the top of the list, and the whole world is watching.
Whatever the outcome tonight, tomorrow, next week, next year, the world needs to keep watching and keep shouting and put an end to this barbaric practice once and for all.
I said earlier this evening that I was hanging my head in shame for not making a difference when it was needed. I was told that it wasn't my fault but it is. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to keep watching and to put this right.
