After I saw Redemption, the movie about Tookie Williams, in gade 12 world issues class, I was really affected. I went online and researched death row inmates, and learned about the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and joined their board, and read about individual inmates on death row. One that really stayed with me was Richard Cartwright. He and his little daughter reminded me so much of me and my dad. We even looked similar, he had the same similar attitude and way of being, everyting. His daughter was everything to him like I was to my dad, and little Ricki loved her dad the same way I loved mine. I read further, realized that he was probably innocent, after his death there was evidence unearthed that he didn't do it. Richard Cartwright was the one death row inmate I never forgot. I read his story from death watch about his last few days, and two other people's desription of his last few days in brief, but with no detail. Thre was even a Wikipedia article on him.
Several months later, I was bored with nothing to do, so I went online at th Y and found his mother's highly-detailed, all-inclusive, highly personal and emotional descripotion of Richard's last five days. I read it and it was the creepiest, most angering thing I ever read. She said that when she saw protestors outside the death house, she thanked them for being thee, and one of them said that was the first time someone talked to them like that. A month or so later, I came back to WP, and saw MADDuck's thread "Yay! I'm depressed!" I HAD to check that out. That sounded so much like me! We started talking in the thread, then PMing. He said he lived in Texas and went to protests, and I asked if he'd been at the execution protest for Richard Cartwright. He said he had, that it was really sad. He was at every single execution protest at the death house, and yes, Richard Cartwright's mother had been there and had said that to them! I couldn't believe it! He was one of the people I'd read about! And now we're best friends!