School Denies Bullying Of 7-year-old Who Allegedly…
Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell: Words Matter
If you're searching for an example of what open hearts can achieve, then look no further than the story of Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton. When Thompson identified Cotton as her rapist in 1984, she was sure she had the right man. But she was wrong. Cotton, then 22, was convicted of raping Thompson and another woman on the same night in Burlington, N.C. He would spend the next 11 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.
That's not so uncommon, right? We now know how unreliable eyewitness testimonies can be. That was the tragedy; now for the remarkable part:
In 1995, DNA evidence cleared Cotton of the rapes and showed that another man who was in prison with him was the rapist, a case recently covered by CBS' '60 Minutes.' Now, Thompson and Cotton are friends and have written a new book together on their story called 'Picking Cotton.' Source
The two speak on the phone weekly and travel together to speak out on the problems with eyewitness evidence. Even their families are friends. Thompson said she felt horrible guilt when she found out Cotton was not her rapist. "Suffocating, debilitating shame," she told '60 Minutes.' She asked Cotton if she could meet with him at a local church. "I started to cry immediately. And I looked at him, and I said, 'Ron, if I spent every second of every minute of every hour for the rest of my life telling you how sorry I am, it wouldn't come close to how my heart feels. I'm so sorry.' And Ronald just leaned down, he took my hands...and he looked at me. He said, 'I forgive you,'" Thompson told CBS. "I told her, I said, 'Jennifer, I forgive you. I don't want you to look over your shoulder. I just want us to be happy and move on in life,'"Cotton said. SourceI hope none of us reading this will ever find ourselves in Cotton's or Thompson's position. But the path that these two chose to walk together stands as a beacon of conduct for all of us.
Is there someone YOU need to forgive to free yourself?
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Comments: (97)
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By: Denise on 3/14/2009 4:56AM
If you look at the body language in the picture of him sitting next to her with his arms folded across his body,Its a defense mechanism he does not fully trust her. Its hard to say if I could forgive a person that cause me to stay in jail for 22 years of my life. He probably encountered things in prison that will scar him for the rest of his life.
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By: HELORIS on 3/14/2009 3:15PM
YOU NEED TO TELL HER TO KISS YOUR BLACK A. FORGIVE HER WHY? I HOPE YOU LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
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By: Jaye on 3/15/2009 9:52AM
This kills me how some are saying that she should be forgiven...to hell with that. Would you forgive someone who rapes/molests your daughter??? Would you go out & have a beer with them afterward??? People always want to have the 'turn the other cheek' mentality...I'll turn the other cheek alright. Some are even saying what Jesus would do....ok....so that's an easy way for blacks to get into heaven is to forgive....yeah, they'll be in heaven alright....serving the tea to the white folks.
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By: Robert on 3/15/2009 1:37PM
There are thousands of innocent "vitims" of all races who have been imprisoned solely on the testimony of an IDIOT witness. . .thank God it was a rape case where DNA could be utilized, but what about the other thousands that are simply "I saw him/her rob me, or steal that car or break into that house" . . as long as the witness believes they are correct the indivdual is screwed(THERES NO DNA FOR FAULTY, DUMBFOUNDED THINKING) . . . Yes judgement day shall be a Great revelation to many for many reasons . . . But imagine having to forgive someone for wronging you, when according to them they are 100% right and will take that belief to their grave(s). THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, YES IS THE ROOT CAUSE, BUT IGNORANT INDIVIDUALS WHO OPEN THEIR BIG MOUTHS AND FINGER SOMEONE WHOM THEY ARE NOT 100% SURE IS THE RIGHT PERSON IS THE BIGGER PROBLEM . . .PEOPLE IF YOU CANT SAY FOR SURE THAT HE OR SHE IS THE VICTIM, THEN KEEP YOUR FRIGGIN MOUTHS SHUT (PERIOD).
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By: Robert on 3/15/2009 1:39PM
Correction ( if you cant say that he or she is the actual assailant then KEEP YOUR FRIGGIN MOUTHS SHUT). . . . Thank you and Good _Day.
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By: G.G. on 3/15/2009 1:49PM
Remember Emmitt Till.....? He didn't have a chance forgive!!!!!!
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By: hbenj on 3/15/2009 3:01PM
Tight alibis and ID's could've kept a lot of us from being entangled in the legal system. I always insisted that my close family carried one, along with an explanation of their whereabouts. That's a benefit of living in a free country -you can chose to endanger your own freedom. You risk your freedom when you can't prove or, don't think you need to prove where the f**k U been or who the hell U is. Did U rape that old lady?
Even gang members identify themselves..they might not tote ID but they know who each other is or ain't. If we ain't stressing commom-sense to each other, there will be other Cottons' seeking justice
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